


Baby, light my fire

by captainhurricane



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, Bachelors student!Keith, Boys being oblivious idiots, Grad student!Shiro, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith having an actual family, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romantic Fluff, Shiro deserves nice things, Slight Age Difference, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-02-13 21:58:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12993381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainhurricane/pseuds/captainhurricane
Summary: So, there's this guy Keith's been crushing on for a while. It turns out the same guy is teaching him this one course. Keith can totally handle this, right?





	1. introductions: Keith

**Author's Note:**

> me, having two wips at the same time? it's more likely than you think
> 
> i blame my friend with her beautiful sheith-art who keeps enabling me to write more: we both just wanna see Shiro in neatly pressed pants and dressing shirts being all professor-y even when he's not a real professor yet lmao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the art of this chapter is by my lovely friend [yumikoyuki](http://yumikoyuki.tumblr.com)

The university caféteria is filled to the brim with students of all ages, some huddled in groups, some sitting by themselves. Most have cups of coffee in front of them, some have their laptops. Keith, a twentysomething self-proclaimed loner, is sitting with a group of his friends, all munching on various sandwiches and most tapping on their phones. Only Pidge, as usual, is with her tablet. She's wearing her headphones, only going with them during her free hours for reasons no one but her knows. Hunk is following the conversation with a small smile of his own, Lance's arm thrown over his shoulders as usual.

Keith is twirling his earbud with one finger and tapping his phone with the other. Outside, autumn is in full bloom. Inside, nothing is blooming but stress. Keith is letting Lance's chatter go from one ear to the other, except-

”Your schedule is how full and you still wanna take more? Dude,” huffs Lance, ever-present grin lingering on his lips even through a frown.

”Just because you're barely scraping by,” Keith mutters and shoots his friend slash enemy slash schoolmate a smirk.

Lance sticks out his tongue at Keith. ”I focus on, you know, living the life instead of just studying. You haven't even gone to any student parties yet. Dude, you're missing out on so much.”

”I don't think he is,” Hunk says, ever the diplomat. ”And Lance is the one getting blackout drunk most of the time so it's not like he even remembers most of it.” He grins.

Lance shoots him an offended look. ”My best buddy! How could you!”

Keith rolls his eyes. ”Like we don't all know. Like a certain TA doesn't know how drunk you get and how amazing you are and how handsome you are-” his voice fades once he notices Lance squinting at him. Keith sticks out his tongue too.

”You suck,” Lance says and digs into his sandwich again.

Keith shrugs. ”Never said I don't.” It's worth it, just to see Lance choke.

It's the standard tale with them, really. Keith had never had many friends in his life, had never gotten around to making many anyway- and had worried his single mother to the ends of the earth for it- but then he and his mother had moved here and Lance had figuratively and literally dragged Keith out of his broodiness and into being friends. As usual, with Lance comes Hunk, the two of them having been best friends since birth and with those two had come Pidge once they had all ended up in the University.

Then with Pidge had come Matt, her brother who is in the middle of getting his doctorate and thus incredibly busy.

Then had come coursemates, other schoolmates and suddenly Keith had realized that he has social circles now. His phone is full of phonenumbers other than his mother and his uncles. Even a few years later after getting to know Hunk and Lance, he's still confounded by it.

He has friends- and he's happy about it. No matter how aggravating Lance often gets or how much Lotor's crew pisses him off with their attitudes, he appreciates their company no less.

He still likes being alone but at least he's not lonely anymore.

He continues to tap on his phone, setting himself up for a good amount of classes for this semester. One of them being Japanese for Beginners, Course I. It seems like a good idea as he's always been good with languages- and considering his mother is Japanese, it might make her happy too. Not that Keith's going to tell that to anyone.

Not that there's anything wrong with being his mother's son anyway.

He finishes registrating for a few classes and scribbling out his schedule. Then lifts his eyes to see both Hunk and Lance staring at him.

”What?”

”You know, if stress kills you, I'll bring flowers to your grave,” Lance says gravely. Hunk elbows him gently.

”Just don't take too much work, okay?” Hunk says. ”Remember first year?”

Keith grimaces. ”Yeah. But well. We were tiny and stupid inexperienced little shits during first years, right? We know better now, right?”

Lance snorts. ”You obviously don't, but I do- okay, enough with the glaring. Also, did you see who teaches Japanese?”

Keith shrugs. ”Some guy. What does it matter?”

Lance and Hunk share a look. It's one of those Looks that all best friends since birth seem to share. It pisses Keith off unbearably.

”What?”

Lance grins, downing his third cup of coffee. ”Nothing much. Just that maybe you should be careful. And remember to drink some water.”

”Wate- what?”

Hunk is clearly biting the inside of his cheek. ”Yeah, maybe you better. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times.”

”What? What are you talking about?” Keith flips them the finger anyway and finishes his sandwich. ”I always keep a bottle of water with me,” he huffs. ”You know that.”

”And it's a good habit to have,” Hunk says. ”Anyway, gotta go, Shay's waiting.”

”Aww, Shay's waiting,” snorts Lance but gets up as well. ”And my princess is waiting for me too, so-”

”Have you told her that she's your princess yet!” Keith says, unnecessarily loudly. It's worth it just to see Lance's cheeks darken.

”Shut up,” he huffs. ”Enjoy Pidge's non-company. And your soon-to-be-thirst.”

”What thi- hey!” But Lance is already waving and linking his arm with Hunk's and they're already running off with their empty mugs in tow.

”They're in a hurry,” Pidge huffs as she finally lowers her headphones. Her glasses are a little askew. She lifts her eyebrow at Keith.

”Why are you looking so grumpy?”

”I don't-” Keith slams his mouth shut when he notices Pidge raising her other eyebrow as well. It's quite remarkable how she does that. ”It's just Lance being Lance.”

Pidge snorts. ”I figured. Don't mind him, he's what he's always been. Anyways, did you finish registering for your classes?”

Keith nods. He lists a few of what he's taking, some that he's apparently taking with Pidge- when it comes to the Japanese-class, Pidge smiles. ”It's because of your mom, is it?”

Keith's nose wrinkles. ”Shut up, you.”

”Aw.”

Keith huffs. ”Anyway... do you know who, um,” he taps his phone for the information about the class again. ”Who's Takashi Shirogane?”

Pidge hums. ”Shirogane? Wait, isn't that- I think it's one of Matt's friends? Maybe? What, is he teaching the class?”

Keith nods.

Pidge whistles. ”I didn't think he had a degree for that yet. I think he's in Matt's year so they'd be like, studying for their pHd still? Maybe he's one of those super-smart ones who get to teach classes while they're still students themselves. That's pretty badass.”

”That poor guy,” Keith huffs. ”Teaching a class while studying himself? That poor fucking guy.”

”Tell me about it. I can ask Matt about him? If Matt even answers, he's been nose-deep in books for months by now. I don't think I even had a brother anymore.”

Keith snorts. ”Tell me when you find him.”

”Sure.”

*

 **Pidge:** so it seems this Shirogane is indeed in Matt's year so he's 28 too

 **Pidge:** so like a grad student

 **Pidge:** but also apparently a soon-to-be-professor.

 **Pidge:** also bilingual and Japanese is his first language, English second

 **Pidge:** also. .. Keith, buddy. It's pretty fucking hilarious. Apparently this guy has a legit fanclub, he's that much of a Captain America

 **Pidge:** both figuratively and literally

 **Pidge:** so uh, have a fun course and tell me all about it

 **Pidge:** can you believe it? A fanclub? For some guy! Just because he's apparently a bit goodlooking lmao

 **Keith:** …......

 **Pidge:** you can't see it but i'm cackling. Out loud.

 **Pidge:** do tell if he's as goodlooking as these people seem to think

 **Pidge:** Matt thinks it's gross and that Shiro- a nickname- is aware of it and thoroughly embarrassed by it. Matt also says he could tell a hundred stories about Shiro's fratboy days to stop these kids from embarrassing themselves

 **Keith:** jesus christ

 **Keith:** i'm already regretting signing up for this class

 **Pidge:** still cackling

*

The day that Keith is supposed to start his Japanese-class dawns so bright and chipper that he's in a bad mood from the get-go. He gets his morning coffee, kisses his mother on the cheek- he can love his mother as much as he wants to, dammit- and jogs to school. He's fresh-faced and flush-cheeked, his usual ponytail tucked on way too tight so he loosens it as he makes his way up the two flights of stairs towards the languages-classrooms.

There's already a crowd there.

Wasn't this supposed to be like twenty people at most? Keith hangs up his jacket and scarf and grabs his bag, leaning against the wall to wait. He watches the crowd- mostly first-year girls, it seems- chatter excitedly. Is this the fanclub? Do they even want to be here? Keith doesn't want to be here if these people are just going to not give it a try. Keith hopes the guy- Shiro- is a tough teacher and drives the loiterers away.

Keith taps his fingers against his arm.

And waits.

And waits.

Then finally, when the clock strikes exactly nine fifteen, the door on the far left corridor opens.

”Oh,” says a voice. Footsteps get closer, stern, determined footsteps. Keith lifts his gaze- and lifts it and lifts it and lifts it. Well. It can't be anyone else but the famous Takashi Shirogane, the university's own Captain America, based on the giggles from the group of girls.

”I didn't expect such a large crowd,” Shiro says, voice smooth. His hair has been swept back, black streaked with white. A glimmer of metal between the folders he's holding and his shirt sleeve. He's also wearing a black vest, like some kind of a walking stereotype.

He also certainly doesn't look like any student or professor Keith's ever seen- and he's seen a lot, from the ones, from the ones straight out of high school to those middle-aged ones or those already in their retirement- but a walking goddamn wet dream with the brightest smile.

 _Oh no,_ Keith thinks. _Oh fucking no. He's- no. I've seen him before. I might have even mentioned to Lance of all people- no._

Shiro smiles as he opens the door and ushers them in. ”Sit wherever you like and let's start with the names of those who got accepted, alright?” He has a nice smile and his shoulders are broad and there's a slash of a scar over his nose and Keith is fucked fucked fucked fucked because he's seen Shiro before, he's pointed out those same shoulders and that same smile before but hadn't known who he was at the time: this is the _same fucking guy_ Keith's been pining after ever since he started university a year ago. 

Keith's fucked.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter count is kind of a placeholder. i have plans for alternate POVs (Keith first, then Shiro, then Keith etc) all the way until they actually manage some semblance of a relationship so... 
> 
> updates will come when i manage to write more coherent pieces so and when thinking about Voltron doesn't exhaust me (the block-button is cool, yo)  
> for once keith's surname is not gonna be kogane lmao


	2. Introductions: Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro's first lesson. He feels like a mess.

It's hard to remember the last time Shiro wasn't busy. Perhaps in his mother's womb. Or kindergarten. Certainly never during his academic journeys: he'd done his Bachelor's degree in languages, then his Master's in even more languages and so many other sciences that he's still surprised he didn't actually die from sheer exhaustion.

And now he's taking his first proper steps, aside from just being a TA, in teaching. Aside from writing his dissertation, he's taken on this monumental task: of course he's gotten help but most of the work he's going to be doing himself. Some of his students are probably going to be older than himself.

Then again, Shiro has always wanted to teach- right after wanting to become an astronaut, a zookeeper and Captain America, in that order- so he's tentatively excited. This course is his. It's both personal to him and professional- he can't wait to introduce these people to his mother tongue, he can't wait to introduce the fruits of his labour to them. He can barely believe this is already happening.

When he shares his excitement with Allura, she pats his cheek and tells him it's adorable and that she's happy for him. When Shiro Skypes with his mother back in Japan, she tells him it's adorable too, him being so excited about this and that she's incredibly proud. Both of them might even be a little teary-eyed by the end of that call but they're proud enough not to say it out loud.

Shiro spends weeks planning, carefully carving out a nice, work-filled introductory course for twenty or so hopefuls. It takes all of his time. He downs ridiculous amounts of coffee and even skimps out on gym-days for it- only to feel guilty about it and going there right the next day to get his daily workouts done. He sleeps a bit too little, works out a little too much, but who's counting, right? What little sleep he gets, is restful, he loves his naps, he loves his friends and family and he's feeling fine.

At least this means he can finally give up on the student council gig- he likes it fine enough but that part was always Allura's thing more. Not that Shiro doesn't like to lead and that he isn't good at it, he knows he is, he's even wanted to become the President at a particular point in his life but like always, childhood dreams never quite come true.

Shiro doesn't really mind. He's noticed that he'd up often the leader anyway: in group projects and discussions, even in things with his friends when they're trying to decide where to go for their social outings. They so often look towards Shiro for guidance that he sometimes doesn't know how to be and how to react: goddammit, he's only twenty-eight and he's no one's mother slash father slash partner slash sibling. But his patience is long and only the most stubborn of people have ever gotten close to snapping it.

And university-students are all adults anyway so Shiro expects them to be at least sensible in their questions, if there're ever going to be any.

Shiro hopes, truly hopes they are all not going to be about his arm. It's a sleek, silvery thing often tickling with phantom pain from the part of his arm that he had lost. It's heavier than his real arm, enough that he always feels the difference in balance but at least it's not completely awkward to use. And Shiro's learned by now not to fall asleep with it own.

And at least it can hold a pen or a piece of chalk, which he figures are the most important parts of his upcoming work anyway.

The dawn of his first class comes surprisingly quickly. Shiro does his usual morning run, chugs down a smoothie that would probably make Matt gag, chugs down a cup of cappuccino and dresses in his neatly pressed, washed and ironed clothes. Maybe the vest and the tie are a little too much but Shiro wants to look professional, he's heard enough nightmarish stories about grad students teaching classes where they are not respected.

Not that Shiro doesn't want to be buddies with the students in this course, some of them actually might even be his classmates.

Now that's a weird thought.

He drives to the university way too early and spends some time chatting with Allura, spotting her having breakfast in the main building's cafeteria. She is, as usual, serene as she gently picks apart her orange.

”You've literally never gotten a bad grade,” she says.

”I know,” he says, his knee bouncing up and down. He smooths his hair down again. A few stubborn white strands tickle his forehead anyway. ”I still feel like I'm going to forget my own mother tongue once I'm up there.”

Allura snorts. ”You speak in two languages on a regular basis, you've done your homework and your planning- honestly, all you've got to worry about is your fanclub.”

At that, Shiro's cheeks grow hot. ”I don't have a fanclub.”

Allura rolls her eyes. She chews on an orange slice thoughfully and points another one at Shiro. ”Yes, you do.”

”They're just... eager. People. Looking for my advice. On things,” Shiro mutters and scratches his nose. ”I guess one of them has a crush on me, I've seen her looking but I'm just. What can I even say? It's not she's bothering me. It's nice to be needed.”

Allura eats another slice. Then takes a sip of her cappuccino. ”Aren't you a nice fellow.”

”I like to think so,” Shiro says. He scratches his nose again. ”You know how I feel about rejecting people.” He shifts on his seat again. Is he being stared at? He glances around them but everyone else in the cafeteria has their noses down books, their laps, their phones or their coffeecups.

”I'm sure you'll do fine,” Allura says. ”I've seen your plans and I've been a TA with you long enough to know that. You're professor-material more than I am anyway.”

Shiro chuckles. ”It's just because you're more President-material than I am.”

She smiles at that. ”Definitely.”

Shiro watches her eat for a second, his leg still bouncing up and down before she finally, metaphorically shoves him off the chair. ”Go prepare, you doofus, you're going to be late otherwise,” she says. ”And don't drink more coffee or you're going to be bouncing off the walls and absolutely no help to anyone.”

Shiro huffs but smiles at her anyway, gathering himself and his things. ”I know, I know. See you at lunch? If I survive?”

Allura rolls her eyes again. ”Go make their day, Shiro.”

Shiro flushes. _Why does everyone keep insisting I have a fanclub or people like me that much? What the hell?_ He waves at her in goodbye and makes his way towards the Languages-section of the building. At least the classrooms in there are comfortable and not huge and imposing like the main lecture halls. And it's only supposed to be like twenty people, right?

Shiro hopes they all show up.

He turns the corner.

”Oh.” Way more than twenty heads turn towards him. Shiro scratches his nose and smiles at them. ”I didn't expect such a large crowd.” He takes them all in, the clearly first-year girls, the few older guys, a couple of older girls, a broody sort of a guy with a ponytail and a couple of middle-aged students that are in his year. As expected. Shiro nods to them and digs for his keys to open the classroom-door.

”Sit wherever you like and let's start with the names of those who got accepted, alright?” The students chatter and whisper excitedly as they pile inside the room. Shiro wonders which ones are the ones actually accepted and which ones are in the queue- and which ones are just general hopefuls. His cheeks stay suspiciously warm. I hope they are not here because of me and are here because they genuinely want to learn. _Oh dear. There's that girl who apparently has a crush on me. Oh boy. Oh god. Don't stare. Stare at them all instead. And that grumpy-looking guy in the corner. Oh no. Now he's looking._

Shiro sets himself behind his desk and waits patiently at the students to be seated- or at least inside the classroom. He scratches his nose again, his skin prickling from the twenty and more pairs of eyes directed at him.

”Shut the door, please? Yes, thank you. Alright. Alright.” He clears his throat. He licks his lips and offers what he hopes is a sweet smile at the students. ”I'm Takashi Shirogane and I'll be your teacher for this course, Japanese for Beginners, Course I. Which you, um, obviously knew already.” That gets a few snickers. ”I'm also still a student like you, PhD-student, sure, but still. So I hope you won't call me professor yet or sir. Just Shiro's fine or Shirogane. Okay?” At the confirming nods Shiro smiles gratefully and takes out the namesheet and a pen. ”Before we get to anything, let's see who's here. These are all the people who registered for this course, so if I say your name, please raise your hand so I can see it. Okay? Okay.”

Out of the twenty that registered, fifteen appear to be present. Shiro marks those down with a little X, smiling softly at each person who raises their hand. Even the grumpy guy with a ponytail- Keogh, Keith- seems to have a hint of a smile on his face as he lowers his hand. Shiro's gaze lingers on him a heartbeat longer than with the others but Shiro doesn't think too much of it.

Shiro then calls for those in the queue and accepts the five first ones. ”So, um. Since you can clearly see there isn't enough room, I'm going to have to ask the rest of you to leave.” Ah. This is the part I was kind of scared of. He sighs, laying the name sheet down. ”Don't worry, this course will happen next year as well. Naturally it won't be taught by me unless a miracle happens, but-”

A few aws and buts is all he gets but the ones whose names didn't get called get up amiably enough. ”Sorry, guys,” Shiro says. ”You know how it is.”

A few students whisper to themselves as they leave. One even shoots a sad look at Shiro. ”Aw, I wanted to be taught by you!”

Shiro flushes. ”Sorry,” he says again. ”I can't deviate from my instructions.”

The student shrugs and leaves. Once the appropriate number of students are in the room and the door is closed, Shiro finally takes a seat.

”Now that's over with, shall we start properly?” He smiles at the nods and yeahs he gets. ”Just, let's go around the room and everyone can tell me their names and why they're taking this course. Don't worry, I won't get mad or anything if you just want the necessary study points. Also, I'm always taking questions and comments so don't- uh, yes, um-” he skims through the namelist. ”- Susan, was it?”

Don't ask about the arm, don't ask about the arm, don't ask about the arm- he grimaces internally as her uncertain gaze flicks to his prosthetic. He bites down the need to hide it. The girl flushes.

”Uh, I just wanna know- my friends wanna know too, is it true that English is your second language? Because you speak really nicely.” Her voice fades.

Shiro's shoulders sag in relief. ”Yeah, it is. And why thank you! It helps perhaps that I have lived here since I was five. Thankfully my skill with my mother tongue has stayed since I speak it with my parents still so I can teach you all. Anyway, shall we move on? How about you start first?”

The first student does tell him their name again. Then the second one. Then the third. Keogh, Keith is the tenth one and he stares at Shiro like he was being challenged and tells them he's taking this because if there's one subject in the world he likes, it's languages.

Shiro gets the feeling that's not the whole story but he's not about to pry. ”Thank you, Keith. I'm always happy to hear other people find languages so interesting!”

Somehow that seems to make Keith squirm. He even pulls up the hood of his hoodie. Shiro huffs and moves onto the next student. He's not about to pry if someone doesn't be overly friendly, alright? And it's the first lesson anyway.

After all the students have introduced themselves properly, Shiro begins.

He leads them through some of the basics, gives them a bunch of good papers to start from and makes them work in pairs. Some glower at him for that but he merely shrugs. Pair work was never his favourite either, no matter how much he generally likes people but it's a necessity.

The students stumble through introducing themselves and saying good morning, good day and good evening. Shiro makes them write a few things down and corrects their pronunciation and then, the clock ticks late enough that he claps his hands once to bring their attention back to him.

”Alright, people, I'm sad to announce that it's about time to end this since the clock is already that much-” a chorus of awws and oh nos follows, ”I know, I know, I'd be happy to sit here with you for a long while but alas, other people need this room. We'll see each other next week, alright? Have a good weekend, everyone!”

The students start getting up and pulling on their jackets, some clearly on their way to lunch, some on their way to a next class. Some ask him how to say have a good weekend in Japanese. He replies and smiles at their attempts to mimic it.

As expected, his desk is crowded by a few girls.

”Um, mister Shirogane-” _which one was this again? Susan? Helena?_ ”We were just wondering-”

”Please, just Shiro. I'm not that old yet-” Shiro tries but it seems they are not even listening. He glances around the girls to see the ponytail-guy- Keith, was it?- watch him. Keith's mouth twitches into a grin. Shiro makes a face at him and can swear that he hears a snort when Keith leaves the room.

Shiro turns his attention back to the girls. As usual, they ask him for lunch. He tries his best to gently reject them, saying that he has ways to go before he can even go to lunch yet.

”Go on now, girls, have a nice weekend and please do the assingment I gave you, okay?”

They yield under his stern gaze, especially when he stands up and easily towers over them. Some of them flush and glance at each other, stifling giggles.

 _Is this my so-called fanclub? Why? Why the fresh hell? And what's with that one guy, taking amusement in my suffering?_ Rubbing his arm at the spot where his prosthetic begins, he continues his work, pondering upon the wonder of his fanclub. He still has a lot to do before he can actually enjoy his weekend.

Like get some groceries. Do some research. Play with the neighbourhood stray cats. Drag Matt or let Matt drag him to a club to drink themselves into stupor like they haven't done in forever.

So much to do.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> he's trying his best ok


	3. Second lesson: Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith pines. And tries his hardest to focus.

Somehow Keith had survived the first lesson. He had taken a seat at the far back corner- to better keep an eye on the others- and so that he isn't sitting too close to the teacher's desk. He had watched Shiro intently through the entire thing, had even spotted Shiro smiling occasionally in his direction.

Keith isn't about to lie to himself and say his heart didn't jump at that. Because it did. Often. When Shiro smiles, it brightens up his whole face: Keith swears even his goddamn eyes sparkle.

And the face Shiro had made when Keith had left him at the mercy of those girls? Priceless. Not that Keith's heart hadn't twinged with the distant feeling of jealousy: Keith can deal with his little crush and he can survive through this course without making a fool of himself. Or letting Shiro know that Keith would very much like to push him against his desk and tug on his stupid sexy tie and wipe away that adorable smile with a kiss and-

once again Keith snaps out of it. His concentration has been slipping through the entire weekend as well as the following Monday and the following Tuesday. Even his friends had taken notice.

”So,” had Lance said the first thing on Monday-morning. He had already pestered Keith through texting. ”Were you thirsty as fuck?” Lance had wiggled his eyebrows.

Keith had tolerated Lance and Hunk's more or less gentle teasing afterwards. Even now he can feel Lance's stare as they sit side by side in class.

Keith sends him a text.

 **Keith:** _cut it out_

 **Lance:** _what 8)_

 **Keith:** _LANCE_

 **Lance:** _he hehe_

 **Lance:** _so was mister fancy professor Shirogane as thirst-worthy as you remember? 8)_

 **Keith:** _you've already asked me this and i've already answered_

 **Lance:** _you've glowered at me and said no comment. That's not an answer. Buddy, just looking out for youuu, maybe it'd take the edge off if you got laid once in a while_

 **Keith:** _oh fuck off_

For good measure Keith shoots a glare in Lance's direction. Lance blinks back and doesn't seem too bothered. He gets back to texting, probably pestering Allura again judging from the slight grin. Keith huffs.

What's with his friends' interest in his non-existent love life anyway? Keith doesn't need that shit, has never needed any of it. Sure, he's tried his hand in dating and all, has lost his virginity years ago but it's just- he doesn't think he needs any of it: romance, sex, relationships. He's got enough fulfilling relationships with his friends and family.

So what that he's got a crush the size of Mount Everest on Shiro? It's not like Shiro's going to recipropate it. It's not like Keith could even date him without probably getting them both into trouble., even though Shiro's not an official professor.

So Keith figures he's just going to look. There's never harm in looking and Shiro doesn't even seem to notice, so it's all good. Keith can admire that face, that posture and those neatly pressed clothes- as well as the thick biceps straining Shiro's sleeves.

It's just a crush and it will go away with time. Maybe seeing Shiro for two hours every week will make it harder to get rid of it, but Keith's pretty damn sure his feelings can't get any stronger. No matter how nice Shiro's smile is or how nice he is in general or how well his trousers fit him.

Keith's stronger than any stupid crush.

 **Lance:** _daydreaming Keith is a pretty hilarious sight_

 **Keith:** _not daydreaming_

Keith shoots Lance a glare again.

Lance clearly bites back a snort.

 **Lance:** _you're blushing, it's gross. Thinking about a certain mister Shirogane, eh? Eh?!_

Keith flips Lance the finger. Even though he gets in trouble for it as the professor happens to look their way right at that second, it's totally worth it. It doesn't make Lance stop his Lance-ness but it's worth it since it makes Keith feel a little better. He'll behave like a sane person on this week's Japanese-lesson, he'll get clammy hands and a dry mouth from staring at Shiro for too long but it's all good. It's all going to be fine.

At least Keith isn't dreaming about him.

*

On Friday-morning Keith shuffles through his morning routine with the vague feeling that he did dream about someone. It takes Pidge teasing the shit out of him- why does he bother to live with her and Hunk and Lance again?- to snap him out of it, to stop staring into his coffee mug and feeling like something just touched his lips.

So what if he dreamed about something nice? He's allowed to. At least he didn't dream about Shiro.

He still feels a little off so he calls his mother before classes.

Yukiko Keogh has always been a heavy sleeper but although she sounds groggy when she answers, she doesn't sound angry.

” _Everything alright, honey?”_

”Uhm.”

” _Busy day ahead?”_

Keith listens to her rustle something and then the familiar tap of her coffee machine. _Yes, mom. Busy staring at a hot teacher. Yes, mom. Busy realizing that my life is pretty damn dull._

”Mmm somewhat. I've got that Japanese-class. And a couple of Engineering-lectures.”

Yukiko giggles at that. Keith's heart twinges painfully at that: he misses his mother so much but he wanted to move here and he has his life here now. And it's not like his mother is alone, no. She has her friends and her three brothers and even one grandparent. It could be worse.

_Hey, mom, I kinda got a crush on a teacher. Not just kinda. But a lot. He's real nice though so I think you'd like him._

He says none of it.

” _How's the Japanese? You doing good?”_

”Well, it's only been one and we only did some introductions,” Keith mutters. ”The- the teacher's nice though.”

” _Oh?”_

Keith's cheeks feel hot. When he places his palm on it, the skin is burning. He grimaces. ”Uh, yeah. It's a grad student actually, I think he's aiming for a doctorate or something and wants to become an official professor. That's why he's just teaching this introductory class. He's real nice.”

It's a mistake to say it again, because his mother hums. _”Really nice, eh? I see, I see. Is he cute?”_

Keith groans. ”Mom!” _What the fuck?_

Yukiko's laugh is sweet. _”I take that as a yes. Sorry, I had to. Sorry, sorry. Don't be mad at your lonely, poor mother-”_

”You're not lonely or poor-”

” _\- who just wants her only child to be happy, okay?”_

Keith sighs. ”I know, I know. And yes, the teacher slash student is really... well. He's. He's handsome I guess.” He tries to play it cool. It probably even works. Especially because Yukiko can't see his face. ”He got cornered by a group of first-years after the first lesson. The poor guy looked mortified. Must be tough being goodlooking.”

His mother snorts. _”Don't sell yourself so short, sweetie. You're handsome, especially since you're me and Ethan's kid!”_

Keith rolls his eyes. ”Mom.”

” _Well, it's true! And you've got such a sweet marshmallow-center, darling, if others can't see it then it's their loss. Believe your mother. And there's no harm in looking at that nice, cute teacher, alright?”_

”Always do,” Keith huffs. ”And yes. He's.. cute, I guess.”

” _I know. And honestly, I trust you to do what's best for you, okay? As long as you come home during Christmas, me and your uncles miss you loads!”_

Keith has to smile at that. ”I miss you guys too. Tell them I said hi. And you, don't overwork yourself, okay?”

” _Aw, you always worry over your old mother. You don't have to, you know I have six guard dogs in here.”_

”Six-”

” _Your uncles make three, obviously! And my other babies make the other three!”_ Yukiko chuckles.

Keith snorts. His mother's three Leonbergs are more like drool-filled teddybears than actual guard dogs. He can't help worrying over his mother though, since she's always had trouble with her health.

”I know, mom. But hey, I've gotta start going soon-” Keith makes a face at Lance who just appeared in the kitchen, looking irritatingly fresh-faced. Lance snorts out loud and mouths: 'your mom?' when Keith nods, Lance shouts: ”Hey Keith's mama!”

Yukiko laughs. _”Is that Lance? Say hello to him for me, alright, darling?”_

”Sure, whatever you want, mom. But I really gotta start going, I've got History soon-”

” _Alright, alright. Have a good day, sweetie. Love you!”_

”Love you too, mom.” Keith ends the call. Squints at Lance, who's still standing there.

”You're so sickeningly adorable,” Lance says.

Keith grabs a banana from the kitchen table and tosses it at his friend.

*

”Hi guys, good to see all of you again!”

 _Shiro's the one who's sickeningly adorable,_ Keith thinks as he takes his usual seat at the back corner. This time Shiro's wearing another dress shirt that's obscenely tight at his biceps and another black vest. This time he's gone without a tie, leaving a couple of buttons open.

Keith's mouth is so very dry. He takes a sip of his water bottle and tries not to think of his friends making suggestive faces in his direction before they departed for their various classes. I'm just. I'm thirsty a lot. There's no harm in that. It's got nothing to do with how good Shiro looks, right?

Shiro gestures at them to pair up again for more greetings. Japanese, when it comes from Shiro's tongue, sounds melodic and beautiful. Japanese, when it comes from Keith's tongue, sounds clumsy and awkward. He stutters through a greeting with his study partner, a man in his year whose name escapes Keith completely.

”The prof is kinda cool, isn't he?” The classmate whispers.

Keith twitches. ”What?” He glances to the front of the class. Shiro has rolled up his sleeve all the way to his elbows, revealing his forearms: the other one clearly made of some kind of a metal. Keith wants to know why and how but Shiro's so far shut down any attempt at discussing what's clearly a prosthetic.

”I said the prof is pretty cool,” the classmate whispers again, leaning onwards. ”I mean, look at that arm! And he's always so nice.”

Keith snorts. ”Sounds like you've got a crush.” _Haha, very funny, Keith. It's not like you're the one with a crush the size of a space ship._

The classmate flushes but rolls his eyes. ”Nothing wrong with admiring when someone's a decent person and has such a neat-looking arm. I wonder how he got it.”

”I don't. He clearly doesn't want to talk about it.”

It had been the only time so far that Keith had spotted Shiro's smile faltering. Keith had arrived early for this class and had spotted Shiro in the classroom, clearly cornered by another student. Shiro had wrapped a hand protectively around his prosthetic, his face stoic.

The student that had left the room had looked stricken.

Keith doesn't want to admit that the face Shiro had made then: stern, almost irritated had been kind of-

he shakes his head. ”Better just leave it.”

The classmate huffs. ”Aren't you a little bit curious?”

 _Buddy, I want to climb Shiro like a fucking tree. I want to know what his favourite goddamn colour is. Hell yeah I'm curious. But I'm also not an asshole._ Keith bites back all of this and shrugs. ”It's none of my business. Can we go back to the exercises now?”

They do, although the classmate remains clearly disgruntled. Keith couldn't care less. Especially since by the time they have gone from looking through their homework and greetings to goodbyes, Shiro begins to go around the room.

Keith's words get stuck halfway in his throat. The classmate keeps frowning at his notes. Keith still couldn't care less, because Shiro's coming closer.

And then he's standing right beside their table, offering both of them a soft smile.

Keith's mouth waters. He swallows hard. ”Hi.”

”Hello, um- Steven and- Keith, was it?” Shiro frowns a little as he checks his name list. When he gets confirming nods, he smiles again. ”How are you two doing?”

The classmate, whose name is apparently Steven, begins to chatter about how he's doing brilliant and this is so cool and Shiro's doing such a good job as a teacher. Meanwhile, Keith watches how Shiro drags his fingers through his hair and how there's a slight blush on his cheeks.

”I'm glad to hear I'm handling this,” Shiro laughs. ”How about you, Keith?”

 _He said my name. He said my name and it sounds so soft coming from him_. Keith licks his dry lips and clears his throat. ”Uh, yeah. It's pretty fun.” He meets Shiro's gaze and tries not to flush.

”I'm glad,” Shiro says again. ”It's been some years since I started university myself so I remember how long it took to get the hang of things, correct me if I'm wrong in assuming you're what- first years? Second years?”

”Second,” Keith murmurs.

”Second,” Steven murmurs.

Shiro crosses his arms, the fabric of his shirt straining against them. A surge of hot, painful, unnecessary desire shoots through Keith at that and he shifts uncomfortably. Shiro, however, remains oblivious and beams down at them.

”You guys probably have your schedules so full that I figured we won't be having an exam in this course. How's that sound? Of course, maybe a couple of surprise tests-” Shiro winks and Keith wants to die, just a bit, ”-but nothing too major. All I want is to give you guys a good grasp on the language so you can go on taking more courses if you want. Maybe even go as exchange students. I went to Japan and greatly enjoyed my time there.”

Steven stutters something excited and unncessary. Keith shifts again. Just because Shiro's looking at him, Keith shifts again.

”I might. My.. my, uh, my mom is from there. Japan, I mean.”

Shiro blinks, his smile turning into a fullblown grin. ”You too? That's cool. Anyhow, I'm taking way too much of your time already- and my own too. Have a good one guys.” Then he's sailing off to another table and Keith is left quivering, Steven yammering on about Shiro and the possibilities of exchange student-trips.

Keith hears absolutely none of it.

Shiro had talked to him. Shiro had said his name. Keith is certain that he can feel his face burning. He's also certain that he's going to remember this for the rest of his life- or at least for how long this big stupid crush is going to last. 

In a way Keith kind of hopes it lasts for a bit, this soft, warm feeling is rather nice. Even though Shiro clearly doesn't feel the same. But it's fine. It's not like they'd have much in common, what's with Shiro being a doctorate student, a good athlete, friend to all and Keith, well. Keith being Keith.

It's going to be fine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like an au!Keith who isn't an orphan would be like.. softer than his canon-counterpart, right? he doesn't have to fend for himself. he doesn't have to live alone in a fuckin shack. 
> 
> and an au!shiro without the incredible amount of emotional and physical trauma canon!shiro has gone through would be softer too
> 
> and like, their canon counterparts are already pretty goddamn soft and pure and good with each other ughughij i just love exploring different versions of characters and imo i don't see enough fic where Keith gets to have a biological family so here you go.


	4. second lesson: Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro gets a little curious about Keith and ends up making him uncomfortable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when will shiro stop being oblivious? when will he catch a clue?

Truth to be told, Shiro is running on four hours of sleep during the second lesson. No one seems to notice that his head keeps nodding, that his eyes glaze over from time to time and he finds himself staring into nothingness. He balances it by being as optimistic as possible, being so helpful that Matt would probably take one look at him and say Shiro's freaking the shit out of him.

Shiro's not about to take his own bad nights on his students, it's no one's fault but his own, a remnant from stressful late nights with homework and snapping awake from nightmares from the car accident early in his teenage years.

He still feels like shit and thinks longingly back to his bed. He speaks with some of his students, tries to get a smile from each of them, tries to remember their names: those girls with their heads bowed together, the loner types, Keith with a ponytail and a shy little smile that Shiro stares at for a heartbeat too long- he thinks he's doing good until he's behind the desk and rubs his shoulder.

”Mister Shirogane?”

Ow, his shoulder really hurts.

”Um, mister Shirogane?”

He twitches and his head snaps up. Every single head in the class is staring at him. Shiro's cheeks heat up, his hand stilling on his aching shoulder.

”Oh, sorry. Stiff shoulders. You know how it is,” he says and glances from student to student, lingering for a second longer on Keith- who looks a little, is that concern?- before moving on. ”Are you finished? I think we still have a good fifteen minutes to go and I still have some homework to give you.” Once he hears a confirming murmur, he smiles. He digs out a stack of papers from his bulging folder and distributes it to each class: he tries not to smile too much at the girls, he doesn't want to encourage them anymore than necessary. Not that he wants to be rude either.

He kind of wants to go home.

He stifles that awful, constricting feeling and explains the homework. ”And you know, if you guys need help, my door's open through most of Monday to Friday. It's 3024, just two floors above this one. Or you can e-mail me. I'll try to answer as much as I can, okay?” He links his fingers. ”Also I've linked some good dictionaries and other good things to this course's webpage. Please take a look at them when you can, I'm sure they'll help with this course. Now... if there's nothing else, you're free to go.”

His shoulder is beginning to be in serious pain, the ache spreading to his arm, searing through old scars. He wants to scratch and rub and maybe finally reserve that time for a masseuse. But he's got more lessons to plan and homework to check and his own dissertation to write.

His smile must be a little strained but no one says anything.

”Bye then, guys, have a good weekend!” Almost all students have started to gather their jackets and bags and leaving. Shiro notices Keith lingering.

”Everything okay, Keith?”

Keith seems to twitch. It's not the first time another student had gotten Shiro's attention but he'd never taken a moment to take it anywhere. Especially now that these people are his students. Still. Keith is really cute.

”Um,” says Keith. He scratches his temple. ”If you're having trouble with your shoulder, I know a good place. Gives student-discounts. Since you're still one, right?” He seems a little flustered. Shiro wants to tell him it's alright, it's nice of Keith to think of Shiro's health even though they're not even friends.

Shiro huffs. ”Ah, it's fine. I know a place too. Don't worry.” _Oh, damn. He noticed? Well, they must have all noticed. I should be more careful next time. It's just a little shoulder ache._ He shifts on his chair. And the occasionally spurting up phantom pain, but nobody needs to know about that.

Keith's eyes narrow for a second. ”You know, my uncle- well, one of them, tends to get lots of limb pains. He's a former vet so I just-” suddenly he seems to hesitate. ”Not that you're one, it's just, you're only a few years older than me and I get lots of stiff shoulders too and it sucks and it kinda runs in the family and-” his voice fades. He looks troubled, like he had said too much.

Shiro shifts towards him reflexively, catches himself in time before he gets up. ”You know, I do want you guys to say whatever's on your mind. And it's nice to hear about your lives and all-” maybe it's stupid to speak like he's speaking to the whole class instead of just Keith, but somehow it makes the situation feel a little less intimate and less uncomfortable, ”-and I'm a little touched you noticed. It seems to run in our student circles, stiff shoulders and all. Take it from someone who's done this for years, Keith, do remember to take care of yourself, alright? I'd hate to see you falter in your studies. I want to see you do good. Not just in my class, but others too. Alright?”

Keith's cheeks are a little pink. He's fingering the strap of his bag. ”Yeah. Y-yeah. Of course. You too, mister Shirogane.” His mouth quirks up. ”Don't falter in your studies. Or your teaching duties.”

The tone is a little snappier than Shiro expects but he figures it's a defensive mechanism. Maybe he had made Keith uncomfortable. Shiro reigns his own worries in and huffs. ”Of course, Keith. And please, just Shiro. Mister Shirogane makes me sound like I'm fourty.”

Keith snorts. ”Well, just twelve years to go for that, isn't there?”

It takes some real self-control to not sass Keith right back. Shiro's mouth twitches. ”Get out of here,” he says instead, tapping his fingers on the table.

Keith's cheeks are still pink when he finally gathers himself and leaves the classroom. Shiro doesn't watch him go, instead focuses on gathering his papers and folders. _I think I heard Matt mention that Pidge has a friend named Keith- maybe it's the same guy?_ Still musing over Keith, Shiro leaves the classroom too and doesn't lock it after himself.

He heads for his own room first to put away his things, then to the cafeteria.

 

_Am I Seeing Stars Or Am I just Too Drunk-chat_

**Shiro:** _you guys lunching anytime soon??_

…

 **Shiro:** _guys?_

 **Allura:** _oh hey, didn't notice your message! Sadly I am incapacitated at the moment. Matt might not be though?_

 **Shiro** : _for once :)_

 **Matt:** _I heard that also yea i'm at the cafeteria with my baby sis and a couple of her buddies_

 **Matt _:_** _join us! These guys are pretty cool although they're like tiny ducklings. ALSO PIDGE STOP LOOKING AT MY MESSAGES_

 **Shiro:** _:D hang on a sec!_

 

Shiro turns around the corner and practically hurries towards the cafeteria, already smiling at the thought of sitting down and having a chat with Matt for a second. He'd never really gotten to know Pidge, Matt's eccentric little sister, but he likes her fine enough. She looks at him a little too much like a particularly interesting lab specimen though.

The chatter of the half-full cafeteria hits Shiro in the face when he opens the doors to it, he only has to look for a little while to see Matt waving his hand frantically a few tables away. Shiro waves back, smile wavering.

Sitting with Matt is Pidge, a couple of other young men Shiro doesn't know and-

oh. It's Keith. Keith who has freed his hair from the ponytail and is apparently choking on his food. Shiro falters. Am I making him that uncomfortable? Should I even come here? But Matt is making faces at him so Shiro digs out his wallet and heads for the short queue. He puts an obscene amount of food on his plate, gets two glasses to drink and pays.

His steps are more than a little hesitant as he makes his way to the table.

”Hi guys.”

Matt practically forces him to sit down next to him. Matt looks exhausted so Shiro can only wonder how tired he looks too.

”What's up, Shirogane?” They fist-bump. There are a couple of snorts around the table. Shiro flushes.

”I don't think I know all of you. Katie I know-”

”Pidge,” grunts Pidge, throwing a glare at her brother. Matt throws one right back.

”-and Keith, hi Keith, again-” Shiro shifts, uncomfortably.

Keith looks oddly flustered again. ”Hi, uh, Shiro.”

One of the two boys Shiro doesn't know, the lankier one snickers. ”Mister Shirogane,” he says. It's a mockery, because of course it is. ”I'm Lance. At your service, happy to finally meet the man the myth the legend et cetera.” He even shakes Shiro's hand.

”And I'm Hunk,” says Hunk. His handshake is very firm and his smile is very bright. ”You know, Keith's told us a lot about you-”

Keith chokes again, emptying his glass of water. ”Just the regular amount,” he murmurs.

”I figured you would have heard of me,” Shiro murmurs, suddenly thoroughly feeling like he's under scrutiny again. ”I'm not as bad as Matt- or Keith- makes me sound, I swear.”

”Don't worry, buddy,” Matt says. ”I haven't told them the half of our frat-bro-adventures.”

At that, snickers and chuckles echo around the table, Keith's eyes a little wider.

”Didn't pick you for the frat bro-type,” Pidge says, tossing a broccoli at her brother. Matt catches it with his mouth.

Shiro groans. ”Not an actual fraternity, we're in an university, not a college- it was just this thing-”

Matt snickers. ”Complete with a snapback and ripped jeans. Can you still do a keg stand?”

Shiro tosses another broccoli at his direction and listens to the chuckles of the table. He glances at them, reailzes that Keith shuts down instantly when their eyes meet. Shiro frowns.

Is he okay? Should I leave?

Keith shoves a forkful of food into his mouth.

Lance sways, like desperately wanting to say something.

”This one time-” Matt starts, stifled by Shiro shoving a broccoli in his mouth.

”Can you please not? I'm an authority figure now, Matt and Keith's in my class-”

”I don't mind,” Keith tries. ”You're still a student too.”

”Still, Keith. You don't need to hear about me and Matt- Matt, can you promise not to tell anyone about our, uh, adventures? Please? Please let those things stay in the past.” Nobody needs to remember those things. Absolutely nobody. Shiro squirms at the mere thought of anyone in this school knowing.

”Just wanted to let them know you don't have a stick up your ass,” Matt huffs. ”And stop with this fucking broccoli-shit. You know I hate it.”

”Now I'm reaaaally curious.” Lance squints from the other side of the table. ”All we ever hear about the great Takashi Shirogane is how great he is, how he helps old ladies across the street, how he plays sport and is just sooo cool-” for some reason he keeps elbowing Keith who seems to grow more annoyed by the second.

Shiro sighs. ”I'm just a guy.” What's wrong with helping old ladies across the street? ”I'm no one's example of perfect living, I don't get why people-” he trails off when he realizes everyone is staring at him once more. ”What?”

Matt rolls his eyes and pats his shoulder fondly. ”At least you're pretty.”

Shiro flushes. ”What?”

But his friends refuses to answer.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *aggressively writes more Sheith out of pure spite*


	5. Third lesson: Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is a thirsty little shit. Shiro wants to still befriend him. Keith also gets some bad news.

The moment Shiro had sat down with them was the moment Keith's soul had departed his body. No matter how much Keith had internally begged for Shiro to not do so, he had still done so, looking slightly bashful. They had fistbumped with Matt and then introductions had been done. Keith had hoped that Shiro hadn't noticed his staring.

Even now, three days later, Keith remembers vividly how good a more casual look is on Shiro. He'd apparently been spacing out for a while, based on the wiggly eyebrows and significant looks his friends had given them.

”So, mister Takashi Shirogane,” is how both Lance and Pidge seem to start all of their conversations.

Keith deeply regrets letting them see Shiro up close and personal at all.

”For the last time-” he tries. He really tries to get them off his back. He's not going to get Shiro in trouble or himself for trying to seduce a teacher- official one or not.

And it's just a stupid crush.

”For the last time,” Lance repeats. ”I've known you for forever but I've never seen you swoon over anyone that much. Not even the fact that Matt mentioned what a dudebro Shiro had apparently been as a teenager made it go away. Or him mentioning Shiro's long hair.”

Keith twirls his pencil.

They're sitting in their shared living room: Keith and his roommates Lance and Pidge, Hunk and the illustrious Allura. Apparently Allura had come out of boredom and because Lance- of all people- had invited her. Keith finds her a little intimidating.

Even though she and the rest of them seem to find teasing him about his crush funny.

”We've all done dumb shit as teenagers, ”Keith grumbles. ”And besides, it's not like that's what Shiro is these days-”

”Oh, it's Shiro now? How casual,” Pidge smirks and pops another potato chip into her mouth.

Keith's face feels hot. ”He told all of us to call him Shiro, he says mister Shirogane makes him feel like his dad-”

”I'm sure he'd love for you to call him daddy,” Lance says and dodges the potato chip that Keith tosses at his direction.

”Gross, Lance. Gross!” Keith flips him the middle finger. Lance isn't deterred.

”But honestly, it was kind of embarrassing to see. You were practically ogling all over the poor guy.”

Keith shoves a handful of chips into his mouth to prevent himself from bursting out.

”He seems pretty cool,” Hunk says amiably. He nudges Lance.

”He's practically a genius,” Allura pipes up from her spot on the apartment's ratty couch. She sits on it like a queen on her throne. ”It's true. We did like, Mensa-tests a couple of years ago and his IQ is above average.”

Keith wants desperately to squirm. Attractive and smart? Nope. No. No. ”Anyhow!” His voice is a little unnecessarily loud. ”Even if I had a crush or anything, what the fuck does it matter? He's my teacher during this course and I don't want to get him in trouble. And why would he even want me in the first place, when I'm just-” he gestures to himself. ”It's not like i want a relationship or anything.”

”Aw,” says Hunk.

”Your mind went straight to a relationship,” Pidge says, her grin widening.

”So it's just not lust but could it be- love!” Lance gasps. He chuckles then, opening another beer and nearly spilling it on his homework. ”Didn't know you had the capacity for love, the lone wolf you are.”

Keith flips him the middle finger again. ”Don't be such a shit.”

”You want to kiss mister Shirogane's sweet, bulging biceps, smooch, smooch~” Lance sing-songs and doesn't even try to dodge the pillow Keith tosses at him. Lance grabs it and snorts.

Keith's face feels like it's on fire. He shoves another handful of chips into his mouth. ”You guys fucking suck.” But the corner of his mouth twitches, especially when the others laugh. Even Allura chuckles.

”Are you guys always like this?”

”Like what, my queen?” Lance twirls around to face her.

Allura rolls her eyes but Keith can spot a soft smile forming on her face. ”Ganging up on poor Keith.”

”Pffsthhh,” says Pidge. ”He loves us anyway.”

”Nope,” Keith says. ”Can we focus on homework now or?” Despite the fact that they do, Allura floating down from the couch to offer her assistance in a couple of courses that they actually share- and one she's a TA in- Keith can't actually focus.

Because damn, he does want to kiss Shiro. A lot. Preferably everywhere.

His subconsious apparently agrees because the next night, his dreams are full of sounds and touches and Shiro gently asking Keith to call him Takashi, please, I love how it sounds coming from you, baby- and Keith wakes from them sweaty and disgusting and with an unbearably ache everywhere. He'd tried relationships before, he'd tried sex before but it just had never worked out.

Why would it work out now? Even if this feels different?

Keith doesn't touch himself, instead just takes a long, cold shower and doesn't mention a word of his burning dreams to his friends. It's embarrassing enough having to see Shiro every week: even more so since Matt has apparently crawled out of his hidey-hole and dragged Shiro to eat with them more than once.

Shiro actually apologizes for it at the dawn of the third Japanese lesson, constantly sweeping back his hair. Nobody else except them and a couple of others seem to have arrived yet. Shiro's cheeks look a little flushed, his vest stretching over his ridiculous chest. Keith tries his best not to stare too much.

”W-why are you apologizing? It doesn't bother me. Honestly,” Keith finally finds his voice. It seems to still want to get stuck on his throat.

”Really? I merely figured that you wouldn't want me there, since I'm your teacher and I just- I just thought I'm making you uncomfortable.”

 _You? Making me uncomfortable? How the fuck could you make me uncomfortable? It's you who should be uncomfortable with me staring at you all the time._ Keith watches Shiro shifts awkwardly for a mere moment.

”What? You're not making me uncomfortable. Where the hell did you get that idea?”

Shiro scratches that cute scar on his nose. ”I just thought- you looked so shifty the last time we were- I thought you didn't want me there. We're not friends or anything so-”

 _Well, our dicks we're kinda touching in my last night's dreams so. It kinda makes us friends._ Keith tries his best to not let his thoughts show up on his face. His mouth twitches. ”Aren't we, though? We have same friends. You like my friends. I like your friends. Allura hangs out with us almost all the time these days. And you teaching this class doesn't really change things to me. You're free to hang out with us if you want.”

Shiro sighs. His smile is a little pained. ”It's not weird? To you?”

Keith huffs. ”Okay. It's a little weird. But it's not like you're an official professor, well, yet. Okay?”

Shiro snorts. ”Not at least for a year or anything. Okay. Okay. If you're sure. You are though? Sure? That I'm not a bother?”

”Shiro, no. You're not.” Keith can feel himself flushing at how easily Shiro's name rolls of his tongue. It's different to say it in front of the man himself instead of when he's with his friends.

Shiro's broad sholders visibly relax. ”Oh. That's good. I think it's good to sit down with fellow students more than the actual staff. Nothing against them but most of them are well over their fifties.” He chuckles. ”I'm not that old yet.”

”There's just five years between us, you know,” Keith says and finds himself growing flustered again when Shiro's eyes snap back towards him. ”Just so you know. If you're old, then I'm old too, yeah? Anyway. I think people are glaring at us already so I'll just- go sit down or something.” He quickly turns and heads for his usual seat. This time it's just him there, sans the irritating Steven so Keith spreads his things a little further.

Shiro begins the class, looking remarkably more at ease than the previous two times. Keith watches him go through his introductions and through checking out their homework, the metal of his prosthetic gleaming silvery-smooth under the fluorescent light. Keith wants to know if it's warm, like it was in Keith's dream.

Shifting in his seat, Keith's focus begins to slip again. His phone buzzes on the desk, right next to his notes. He checks it, swiftly, finding a message added to their usual group chat. _(STARS AND SHIT AND MOTHERFUCKS xoxoxoxo)_

 **Hunk:** _fyi, we think Shiro's more than welcome to join us during lunch. And outside school too :)_

Keith flushes. Seeing Shiro at school is more than enough.

**Keith:** _guys please_

”Keith?” Keith nearly drops his phone to the floor. His head snaps up.

Shiro's towering over him, his smile gentle. ”I see you're alone in your table, Keith.”

 _Please say my name more._ Keith nods numbly.

”Since everyone else is paired up, we're gonna do little conversations, I figured- if you don't mind talking with me?” Shiro scratches his nose-scar again. ”Do you have the papers I gave last time?”

This close, it's even more obvious how ripped Shiro is under his professor-y clothes. Keith swallows hard. ”Yeah. Uh, yeah. They should be somewhere in my folder.” He bites his lip and begins looking, tucking a few of his strands behind his ear. Damn, he really needs a haircut one of these days.

The chair creaks as Shiro sits down opposite to him, fingers folded together. ”I see you have it. Good, good.”

There's a murmur around them as the others begin the conversations, also a cursory look around them tells Keith enough: that some still glance his way. _I didn't ask him to come to my table, stop glaring at me! K_ eith makes a face at them, his sharpness instantly melting when faced with Shiro again. Keith digs out the necessary paper.

”Uh, the other side?”

Their fingers brush when Shiro reaches to point out the right part. Keith has to bite his lip hard to prevent a jolt.

He instantly butchers a single hello and stutters over his own goddamn name. Especially when Shiro repeats it back at him, pronouncing Keith's surname utterly wrong but making it sound utterly adorable.

Maybe Keith imagines it, but Shiro's cheeks look a little pink when Keith tells him in hesitant Japanese that it's nice to meet him.

The conversation is short and they change positions in it to do it twice, then once more. Keith's head is bursting at the seams. Is steam coming out of his ears? Can everyone see it? He wants to pull his hoodie's strings tight and hide his face.

”Is everyone done with their conversations?” Shiro asks and gets up, instantly shifting back to teacher-mode.

Keith's body burns. He never used to have an authority-thing but holy shit. Shiro would probably find it creepy. Keith reigns these overflowing desires in desperately.

The rest of the lesson passes too quickly for his tastes but he manages a wave at Shiro. Shiro waves back and grins.

Keith stumbles over the classroom's threshold and practically runs down the corridor, his toe throbbing with pain. His mind is full of Shiro's soft voice, saying his name with such unbearable softness. Keith wants to hear it again. Keith wants to hear how it would sound if it was loving.

He has to duck into the bathroom to splash handfuls of cold water to his face to get his blush to go down. He never used to be the type to blush but here he is, flustered all over because Shiro said his damn name. Because Shiro actually thought that he was making Keith uncomfortable. Bless his adorable fucking heart.

Keith makes his way home later that day with his toe still aching. He finds Pidge in her pyjamas by their shitty TV, fork-deep into some form of pasta.

”Another one of those care packages of yours arrived,” she informs.

Keith makes some kind of an affirmative noise but she still glances at him. She squints.

”You okay? You look red.”

Keith's hand twitches. He's not going to touch his cheek in front of her. ”Oh, fuck off.”

Pidge snorts. ”It's in your room!”

The care packages are a Keogh-family thing. It started way back when Ethan Keogh passed away as a way to help both Keith and his mother through the whole ordeal- the package is always put together by Keith's three uncles. It always includes chocolate and other snacks. Sometimes it includes letter, sometimes tiny little gifts to make him smile. Since Keith has gotten one today, he's pretty sure his mother has gotten one today too.

Sometimes his uncles take turns in who puts what in the package, but it's almost always a group effort. If it's from Kolivan, it's something efficient and necessary to daily life. If it's from Ulaz, it's something interesting, like an artefact from his many mysterious trips abroad. If it's from Thace, it's probably something fun and cool, nothing trashy but something like a movie ticket or a concert ticket.

While in thep rocess of tearing open the package, Keith's phone buzzes with a call. He smiles, wider than he usually does when he recognizes the ringtone as the one for Thace. Thace had become a secondary father to him after Ethan's passing and is still the uncle Keith is closest to.

”Hey, uncle number one,” Keith answers.

He hears a soft huff. He can almost imagine Thace scratching his beard, that quiet smile on his face. But there is no chuckle this time.

” _Hello Keith,”_ Thace says. _”I'm afraid this is not a social call.”_

The smile drops from Keith's face. ”Wha- has something happened? To the other uncles? To- to mom?”

Thace sighs. _”I don't wish to worry you too much, dear boy. But she had some kind of an attack and fell on the stairs.”_

All air seems to stop in Keith's lungs.

” _She's in the hospital. I'm sorry to say, kiddo, but they had to put her on medically induced coma. She hit her head and her back and her leg is broken.”_

Keith sits down, his legs suddenly weak. All thoughts of Shiro, of the care package disappear. ”Uncle-”

” _Oh, kiddo. I am sure she will be fine. You know what a fighter your mother is, right?”_

Keith swallows. Sure, he knows. But his mother shouldn't have to fight. Still have to fight. She had fought after Ethan's death. She had fought to get a good life for Keith. Keith's eyes feel a little wet. It's not the first time his mother had slipped on something or her health had gone to shit.

It's not the fucking first time.

” _My brothers and I are doing our best to take care of her. As are the doctors in the hospital. Did you get this month's care package already? Keith?”_

Keith draws breath shakily. ”Okay. Yeah. I- I know. I know that.” Except for his uncles, it had been just him and his mother. For so long. There's no one in the world he loves more than her. ”It's just- they're doing everything they can, right?”

_”Of course, kid. You know how her health hasn't always been the best so this was a shock to her body- the coma is just to keep her condition stable. Because she is stable. Alright, Keith? She'll be fine. I am sorry for scaring you. Did you like the care package?”_

A tired little laugh escapes Keith. He closes his eyes. ”Yeah. Of course I like it. I always like it. I haven't even checked it yet.”

 _”Please do. It will bring a smile to your face. I'm sorry for scaring you so much.”_ Thace sighs again. _”How have you been otherwise?”_

Keith sighs. ”I know she'll be fine,” he murmurs. ”And uh, yeah. I'm okay. Doing my assignments in time.” He forces his mind back to Shiro, to the utter warmth Shiro's presence emanates. ”I kinda like someone.”

Thace chuckles. The noise is brief, warm and rumbles pleasantly. It reminds Keith of the time he used to get piggy-back rides from Thace. _”That's good. Please live your life the way you want, kiddo. Me and the others will keep you updated on your mother, okay?”_

Keith huffs. He still doesn't open his damp eyes. ”Yeah.”

 _”You're always my favourite nephew,”_ Thace whispers.

”I'm your only nephew,” Keith whispers back.

It's worth of it to hear Thace laugh. Uncle Kolivan has three daughters, uncle Ulaz prefers his dogs over people and Thace never got any children himself. He always said taking care of Keith and his mother is enough.

_”Have a good day, kiddo.”_

”You too, uncle.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember: if you like this fic, please do pop a comment here or on my tumblr (aarnivalkeaa) and of course, subscribe ;) also if you have something specific you wanna see Shiro and Keith do- or places where they could bump into each other outside of school, i'm always up for suggestions!
> 
> next up: Shiro maybe begins to get a clue. About certain things.


	6. Spark: Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro comforts Keith.

The first small test that Shiro had given to his students had ended up going rather well for all. It had been a little mean for him to do it so early in the course but it had been a good wake-up call for all. Shiro is glad to put a solid 9 out of 10 for Keith’s test. They’d eaten lunch together with their various friends three times by now and Shiro had found Keith to be a rather good conversation partner, although Shiro still can’t shake the feeling that he’s making Keith uncomfortable. Still. He had made Keith smile, even laugh, they had ended up talking with each other more than with their friends.

Shiro knows now that Keith’s favourite animal is a hippo. Shiro knows now when Keith’s birthday is. Shiro knows now that Keith’s favourite colour is red. Shiro knows that Keith is the type to get angry when drunk and that Keith’s favourite person in the whole world is his mother.

It seems to be the general consensus among Keith’s friends that Yukiko Keogh is an angel: she survived her husband’s tragic, untimely death, has always kept her three older brothers in line and has always made sure that Keith has a full stomach and a roof over his head.

The first thing that comes to Shiro’s mind when he spots Keith at the beginning of the fourth lesson is that Keith is feeling sick or drowsy- his face is pale, his hair ruffled and his clothes are wrinkly. His eyes look red. Shiro is denied a chance to ask Keith what’s wrong with the arrival of the other students for whom Shiro plasters on a happy smile.

He's almost a little disappointed that Keith’s usual seating partners appear to be in class today. There won’t be any pair exercises then. Shiro still circles around the class and returns those tiny tests to the students, spends a blink of an eye longer with Keith, setting his hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“Great job, Keith,” he murmurs and sets Keith’s test upside down in front of him. It worries Shiro to see that Keith barely reacts. Maybe he will when he sees the tiny post-it stuck to the corner of the test. In it are written three words: is everything alright?

“And no, guys, this won’t affect your final grade at all, I just want to see where your heads are at this point,” Shiro says to the rest of the class and drifts away from Keith. But he gets the strangest feeling that Keith is watching him go.

Shiro teaches with more confidence than before, goes through words and sentences and more introductions and greetings. He listens to the murmurs around him, to those who have clearly gotten a good grasp of the language and those who struggle more. His gaze keep drifting to Keith, to his bowed head and his messy hair. Is he okay? Is he okay? Can I do something?

Shiro’s heart aches when those close to him aren’t feeling well. He’s the first one with a thermos full of chicken soup at his friend’s door when they are sick. He does help old ladies across the road. Maybe it’s his own way of balancing out the nightmares, the stress, the sleepless nights and the days when he’s so tired he can barely function.

Maybe Keith gets those days too: Shiro doesn’t know him well enough to know either way.

He looks at Keith.

Keith looks back and Shiro’s heart quivers. Those are not the eyes of someone well off. Those are the eyes of someone sorrowful.

Shiro nearly goes to him, nearly lays his hand on Keith’s shoulder, fuck what the others think. But Shiro stays put and gets on with the lesson, smoothly tugging his tie a little looser as it begins to choke him. He brushes his hand through his hair, the strands barely kept in place by the hair gel.

He writes a few sentences on the blackboard, vastly preferring it to the white screen most professors use.

“And that’s how you would say when your birthday is, alright? Since mine is 29th of February, yes, I know-“ he chuckles, “-you would write it like this. Of course, we’re not going too deep into Katakana and Hiragana in this class unfortunately, I’ll be happy as long as you can write your name-“ his gaze drifts to Keith. Keith is staring into space, his mouth parted.

He looks like he’s going to throw up any second. Shiro can almost hear Matt calling him a fucking bleeding heart in his head. Shiro bites back the words he wants to say, he doesn’t want to cause Keith any more discomfort so he goes on with the lesson, all the way until he announces next time’s homework and sends the students off.

“Um, Keith?” Shiro asks as he stands up and most of the students have already left.

Keith flinches but he stays still. “It’s… it’s fine, Shiro,” he whispers. His voice sounds rough.

Shiro goes to his table instead of waiting for Keith to come to him and stills, waits for the second to last student to leave before laying his hand on Keith’s shoulder. “You don’t look fine, Keith.” Keith’s shoulder is shivering, his head is bowed. “What’s wrong?”

Keith seems to struggle, as he clears his throat and inhales roughly. “My… you don’t have to listen to my problems. I’m sure you have enough on your plate already, Shiro-“

Shiro shakes his head. “No. Excuse me for behaving like I know better but Keith- can we sit down?”

They do, after a moment of silence. Keith is still not meeting Shiro’s eyes.

Shiro wants to take one of Keith’s hands in his. It’s almost painful to watch Keith twist his own fingers on the table. “Look, I know it’s not easy to ask for help or advice or friendship but- I would like to think we’re friends already, Keith. You can tell me to fuck off if you want-“ Keith snorts. Shiro smiles softly, intertwining his own fingers in front of him. “-but if there’s anything I can do-“ he just wants to shake that awful sadness from Keith’s face. That face shouldn’t be staring empty into nothingness, that face should have a smile on it, that face should glow. Shiro squeezes his fingers together tighter so he doesn’t reach to touch Keith’s cheek.

There is a warm spot inside Shiro that’s beginning to grow, a warmth that’s starting to spread all the way to his fingertips and to his toes.

“You’re way too fucking nice,” Keith huffs. He exhales for a long time. Then finally, finally meets Shiro’s eyes. Shiro’s hand actually twitches, the need to take Keith’s hand almost strong enough to overpower Shiro’s self-control.

“I’m really, really not that nice, Keith.” Shiro doesn’t quite understand why Keith’s mouth twitches at that. “I mean, I’ve been through enough to know being deliberatey an asshole really helps no one so why wouldn’t I try to help others? Especially people who I like?”

The very tips of Keith’s ears, peeking from his silky-smooth hair turn pink. “I don’t see you sitting down with anyone else after class than me. Or at lunch with anyone else but us.”

Shiro huffs. “Keith, you’re stalling.”

Keith’s eyes look redrimmed. smiles, a tiny, pained smile. “My mother is in a hospital.”

Now Shiro does reach to brush Keith’s fingers. He’s heard a couple of stories about Yukiko Keogh already, from Lance and Hunk and from Keith himself and knows that this is a woman that Shiro’s own mother Kimiko would like. And it’s Keith’s treasured mother.

Keith’s fist opens and Shiro slides his fingers over Keith’s fingers and squeezes. “Is she alright?”

Keith draws a deep breath and nods. “At least, she will be. My uncles are there. But it’s just- mom’s had health troubles ever since dad died and I’m just, forever worried about her, you know?” Their eyes meet again.

Shiro offers Keith a smile and another squeeze of the hand. Shiro tries not to focus on how big his own palm is compared to Keith’s slender one.

“From what I’ve heard, you two are really close.”

“Yeah.”

Both jump up when the door handle rattles. Keith’s cheeks are pink. Shiro’s own face feels a little hot when they turn to meet the next class’s professor.

“Oh, Shirogane!” The tiny, ancient professor chirps. “What are you still doing here?”

“Ah, nothing. Nothing.” Shiro’s heart thud-thud-thuds, his palm still warm from Keith’s hand. Keith is gathering his things at light-speed and speeding out of the class before Shiro can say a single thing. “I was just- he was just having some trouble- I’ll be out of your hair, professor.” Shiro quickly salutes the tiny professor and follows Keith.

But Keith has vanished by the time Shiro manages to get to the corridor.

_Did I fuck that up again? By grabbing his hand?_

Shiro bites his lip and fishes out his phone. He had been invited to a group chat formed by Keith’s friends and had saved Keith’s number to himself. They still hadn’t texted.

 _Should I? Should I wait until I’m not  basically his teacher anymore? What’s the harm in just saying what I want to say?_ Shiro bites his lip harder and decides to send Keith a text anyway.

 **Shiro:** _I hope your mother is going to be well. Do tell more about her and/or your uncles someday, I’d love to hear about it. You are a fine-_

no, that’s just stupid.

A fine friend?

**Shiro:** _I hope your mother recovers from whatever ails her. She seems amazing. I’ll be here if you need someone to talk to._

There. Nice, but not too intimate. Not that Shiro wants to be intimate. Not really. No matter how nice Keith’s hand feels in his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope everyone had a nice christmas/hanukkah/holiday or otherwise a chill day.


	7. more sparks: Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is a mess. Thank God Shiro likes them messy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not updating for a few days, my mental and physical health are not doing so hot.
> 
> The incredibly lovely art in this chapter is by my friend [yumikoyuki](http://yumikoyuki.tumblr.com)

Keith calls his uncles every day. If one doesn’t answer, the next one will. Then the next one. They all say the same thing: No change in Yukiko’s condition. But at least she’s stable. Keith goes to school as normal, goes to his classes, does his homework and goes out with his friends once.

Not even seeing Shiro during the occasional lunch helps lift his mood. Although it certainly doesn’t worsen it: especially because Shiro asks every single time how Keith is feeling. They have no time or chance to sit down, just the two of them and silently Keith thinks it’s better that way anyway. Maybe his stupid, stupid crush will eventually start dwindling down like this, if he keeps on having Shiro at an arm’s length.

Although he hasn’t told Shiro yet that Shiro shouldn’t text him.

Because it does make his lips twitch into a smile to see Shiro’s name on the screen. Since Shiro seems encouraged by Keith’s lack of answers- or Keith’s one-word answers- he has moved from just asking if Keith’s feeling okay to telling Keith of the animals he sees and how nice the local gym is.

Figures Shiro would be a regular gym-goer.

Keith can only thanks his quick metabolism and running habit that he’s managed to stay thin: to get as buff as Shiro he’d have to do some serious work and Keith’s far too busy with university and worrying about his mother. He still doesn’t understand how Shiro manages to do everything he does: the Japanese lessons, work out regularly, work on his thesis… and still not look like a walking death. In fact, Shiro looks so good every single day that Keith kind of wants to die, or cry or both. Because there’s no way Shiro will have time for a relationship, there’s no way Shiro is even interested in him in the first place.

He says as much to his friends when they’re sitting in Keith, Lance and Pidge’s stuffed living-room.

“Urgh,” says Pidge, knee-deep in her own homework.

Keith has tried to read the same sentence of his assigned book five times. Finally he lays it down on his lap. “It’s not like I think I’m unattractive or anything or entirely an awful person to be around-“

Lance snorts. Hunk elbows him. Lance clears his throat. “Sorry. No. You’re not awful.”

Keith rolls his eyes. “It’s just that-“

“You think that because Shiro seems like a regular mister Captain America you think he wouldn’t look twice at your punk ass?” Pidge lifts her eyebrow from behind her laptop.

“Exactly,” Keith mutters.

“I think you’re putting him on a pedestal,” Hunk says from amidst his folders and notes. “Because you have a massive crush on him.”

Keith can’t muster up the energy to be mad about it, feels just the slightest sting of frustration. He groans. “Am I? Putting him on a pedestal?”  He sees his friends exchanging looks. “What?”

“You know how much you’ve talked about Shiro in the past few weeks?” Pidge asks.

Shifting uncomfortably, Keith begins to bite his lip. “Not- not that much?”

Lance snorts again. “Even in the last few days, I think you’ve mentioned Shiro’s name like fifty times. Trust me. I counted.”

Keith tosses an eraser at him. “I didn’t! I’ve been too worried about mom to even-“ Lance tosses the eraser back and Keith grabs it. “Shiro, uh. Shiro texts me. He’s really nice. Excuse me for not knowing how to behave around my crush. I’ve never liked anyone this much.” He recognizes the devouring feeling inside of himself as guilt. Guilt that he’s even thinking about Shiro’s enviable muscles and sweet attitude when his mother could die.

He doesn’t expect to get a wolf-whistle. “Kinky,” says Lance. Keith tosses another eraser, this time hitting him square in the forehead.

“Wow,” says Hunk with a frown.

“You’re really into this whole teacher-student-thing,” Pidge says casually and snorts when Keith shoots her a glare.

“It’s not a teacher-student-thing, what the hell! And he’s not an official professor! And he just texts nice things! And asks me if I’m okay and tells me of all the dogs he sees when he goes outside and-“ Keith bites his lip. His cheeks feel hot. “Shut up, Lance.”

“Didn’t even say anything! Hurting my feelings there, buddy.”

“You don’t have any feelings,” Keith huffs. “Other than bad innuendos and pining after Allura.”

Lance shrugs. His grin is so annoying but secretly Keith is glad his friends manage to take his mind off his mother- and Shiro- for once. “Never said I didn’t,” Lance says. “By the way, did you guys even see how radiant she looked like today-“

“Oh, Lance,” says Hunk.

“Yes, yes, and how beautiful she looked yesterday and how gorgeous the day before,” huffs Keith and takes the bait in teasing someone else for once. His friends don’t need to know that when his phone beeps with a message, it’s Shiro.

 **Shiro _:_** _I just saw the best thing. Two golden retrievers. They were sisters. I chatted with the owner for a second: they’re also two years old. So cute._

 **Shiro _:_** _I hope you’re feeling well today, Keith_ _: )_

*

It’s Thursday-evening and Keith’s local grocery store is utterly packed. His head is pounding, his hair free and a complete mess and the sweater peeking out from underneath his faded red leather jacket is full of holes. But he gets it, really. Lance had actually ended up reading for an upcoming exam and Pidge doesn’t really give a shit what’s in the fridge, since she lives on coffee and energy drinks and pizza anyway.

And usually Keith wouldn’t mind being their household’s grocery shopper. Today he does.

“Fucking Lance and his fucking mangoes,” he grumbles and chooses the biggest one, hoping silently that his quirky roommate chokes on it.

It doesn’t help that uncle Ulaz had texted and told him that his mother had woken up for a second and promptly gotten a seizure. They’re now suggesting that she has clear symptoms of epilepsy. She’s been in and out of consciousness and Keith still feels like there has to be something else. He hopes it’s not her heart.

He by-passes the meat-section entirely and turns too sharply around the corner, smashing straight into a wall.

A wall that shifts and calls his name. “Keith?”

“Watch where you’re fucking-“ Keith bites his tongue when he comes face to face with Shiro. Not quite the same, neatly dressed Shiro as in school but one who’s clearly straight out of the gym. His windbreaker looks too light for the chilly weather but it’s still hanging open, Shiro’s damp hair slicked back and his ridiculous body stretching out his tank-top.

Keith’s gaze does a quick once-over. Shiro’s even wearing sneakers. And sweatpants.

“Oh. Hi. Hi, Shiro.”

Shiro lays his hand on Keith’s shoulder and squeezes. “Careful there, buddy. You seem a little rattled. Shop with me?”

Keith’s treacherous heart lurches. He swallows the lump from his throat and can’t find it in himself to say no. “It’s been- kind of a day. And I have a headache,” is all he admits. Shiro withdraws his hand. Keith wishes he hadn’t.

“Oh, I get migraines a lot so I feel you there,” Shiro murmurs. “Do you have a list? You wanna go over it together? I’m just here to pick up some protein powder. This store’s the only one even somewhat nearby my place that has this particular brand.”

Keith’s treacherous heart lurches again. His palms are clammy so he shoves them into his pockets. “Ah, nothing specific. All I’ve got left are the rest of the pizza-toppings. We usually do a pizza-night on Saturdays when we all have free time.” He nearly bites his tongue to stop himself from chattering, chooses to bite his lip instead.

But Shiro doesn’t seem bothered. Instead he nods. “Sounds good, sounds good. Ah, we? Do you live with someone?”

Keith’s too distracted by this more casual Shiro that he doesn’t notice the pink on Shiro’s cheeks. “Uh, yeah. Pidge and Lance. We managed to grab a neat little place at a reasonable distance from the campus. I wish I lived alone though.” Or with someone I like. “Lance can be such a handful.”

Shiro snorts. “He seems like a chatterbox,” he says amiably and gently wraps his arm around Keith’s waist, their legs and knees brushing when Shiro pulls Keith out of the way of a rowdy family of five. “Careful there, buddy,” Shiro says again. “Those kids might have bowled you over.”

Keith’s brain is short-circuiting, his headache dulling into a barely noticeable throb because Shiro’s arm is impossibly warm against his back, Keith’s knee tingling from where it was brushed. Maybe it’s his imagination but Shiro’s fingers had lingered on his back, brushing it so, so gently.

“Uh, thank God someone’s on top of things,” Keith huffs. He clears his throat to cover his flush. “I feel like my brain’s leaking out of my ears.”

“I like to think I’m on top of things, Keith,” Shiro’s chuckle is a rumble, his voice the kind Keith could listen to forever. So smooth. So smooth like chocolate. Or honey. Oh god. He’s beginning to write poetry about Shiro in his head.

“That’s- that’s nice of you to say so, Keith,” Shiro says.

Keith freezes. He glances at his companion. Shiro’s cheeks have gone red.

“Oh god, did I just- I said that out loud?” Keith groans and covers his face. “Can we pretend I didn’t say a single thing? Can we pretend I don’t have to shove my fucking foot in my mouth?”

Shiro laughs, his heavy palm descending gently on Keith’s shoulder again. Shiro squeezes it again and Keith’s heart nearly jumps out of his throat.

“Oh, oh boy. It’s fine, Keith. It’s okay. We all say things we don’t mean when we’re tired.”

Oh fuck, why did I say that out loud? Now I made him uncomfortable. Keith grimaces. And now he thinks I’m just speaking out my ass. Keith fucking Keogh, what the hell? “It’s not-“  he glances at Shiro, at that adorable, enticing blush on Shiro’s ridiculously handsome face, at that black windbreaker with a mecha-lion patch on its arm. “I meant what I said though. You have a nice voice.” Now Keith’s own face feels as hot as a furnace.

“No one’s ever said that to me,” Shiro says. “So- uh. Thanks?” He pats Keith’s shoulder again. This time his fingers do linger.

Keith begins to fear there’s steam coming out of his ears. “I- I should go on shopping. You too.” Oh god. Why am I such a fuck-up.

Shiro offers a soft smile at him, like a knife straight at Keith’s heart. “Me too, definitely. I wish for health for your mother, Keith.” He takes a step back, like to put some distance between them because Keith’s mouth had overwhelmed his brain and basic human decency. “See you tomorrow, yes?”

Keith sighs and manages to look Shiro in the eye. “Yeah. See you.”


	8. attraction: Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro have a moment. Shiro meets some bunnies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The incredibly lovely art in this chapter is by my friend [yumikoyuki](http://yumikoyuki.tumblr.com)

Shiro had done his work as usual. He had worked on his thesis, had gone to the gym, had gone out with Matt, had gone out with Allura and other friends. He had helped a couple of old ladies across the street and had one of them kiss him on the cheek- he had turned his head just in time after she had grabbed his ear and dragged his head all the way down to her height.

She had reminded Shiro of his own grandmother. Not that his grandmother had ever tried to kiss him. Had just been very insistent that he eat his vegetables. Still is, never mind that he’s close to thirty and has lived alone for fifteen years and she hasn’t seen him for three. Apparently his mother does send weekly updates to grandma.

Oh, dear old grandma.

Thinking about her or his week doesn’t detract from the fact that Shiro’s brain has been completely overtaken by an attractive second-year, even when Shiro made himself promise that he wouldn’t do anything with anyone at his school. Much less begin to like. He promised to keep it to himself if he found anyone in his class attractive, since teacher-student-relationships are still not exactly widely accepted. Not that Shiro had googled anything. Or thought about one Keith Keogh over the past few days- or maybe even longer.

Running into Keith at the grocery store certainly hadn’t helped things. Rescuing Keith from getting bowled over by the over-excited kids had been all instinct, Shiro’s brain short-circuiting from the warmth of Keith’s body, pressing against his.

And that cute blush.

Shiro has begun to even sleep more restlessly, finding himself spacing out in more than one occasion. He had admitted to finding one of his students attractive in two seconds after Allura had targeted him with one of her signature piercing stares.

She had snorted. “You are truly one of a kind, Shiro,” she had said. “It’s not a crime to find people cute.”

_But what if they find me cute too?_ Shiro hadn’t said that though. He had kept it to himself. And now, as he gets through yet another Japanese lesson of his own, his gaze keeps drifting towards Keith’s table constantly. He looks so sad. The thoughts just keep coming. I wonder what he’s thinking. And coming. I had a dream about him last night. He was so hot. He is hot. And coming. Shiro’s prosthetic hand grips his pen so tight it cracks in half.

“Whoa, prof, you okay?” Is hear from a few mouths. Keith’s head snaps up, his eyes a little wide.

Shiro’s face burns. “Oh, I just- I got distracted by something. Continue what you we- you’re done with the conversations, right?” When he gets confirming nods and a tiny smile from Keith, Shiro clears his throat. He continues the lesson with his focus shot to hell and back and tries not to stare at Keith too much. Shiro’s neck continues to prickle all the way to the end of the lesson, when he finally sends the students off. He asks Keith to stay behind.

Keith turns, lips parted and eyes wide. Oh damn. Am I doing it again? Crowding him too much? Shiro flushes. “Uh. I just- how are you feeling?”

Keith blinks. Then he straightens, crosses his arms and tilts his head. A small smile dances on his face. “Don’t we talk daily by text? And the lunches?”

Shiro squirms under that sharp gaze. “Come on, Keith. A text can’t possibly adequately tell me what a face-to-face-meeting could.” He puts his hands in front of him on his desk. “Honestly. You okay? You told me your mother is still-“

Instantly Keith’s smile vanishes. “Well, she’s stable at least. She’s apparently woken up more but is not quite lucid. Just sleeps most of the time.”

Shiro’s heart aches. He wants to get up and hug that awful anxiety away from Keith’s entire being. But Keith seems so proud, a little skittish- like a cat, Shiro muses- that Shiro is willing to wait for Keith to come to him. If it ever happens. They could be friends outside of this classroom, perfectly good friends. There’s no reason for Keith to not accept his help, right?

“That’s good,” Shiro says. “You know you can-“

“I can talk to you. I know, Shiro,” Keith says. How lovely does Shiro’s name sound coming from Keith, uttered with such softness- imagined or not.

“Good. That’s… good. I’m here for you, Keith.”

This time Keith does lift his head. His smile is a brittle thing but it’s a smile, hinting of the rowdier nature behind it. “I know, Shiro. I know I can trust you.” With that, Keith turns and leaves, taking a piece of Shiro’s heart with him.

Shiro takes a moment to inhale deeply and exhale even deeper. When did this happen? When did this thing become a crush? His face burns. His ears burn. His heart burns.

* *

There’s a friend of Allura’s who has three bunnies. She calls Allura in panic, her annual trip to her family coming up and her usual bunny-sitter bailing on her. Naturally, Allura assures this friend to calm down. And gives her Shiro’s number.

**Shiro _:_** _I’m more of a dog and cat-sitter you know_

**Allura:** _Bollocks. If it has a pulse, you’re bound to be able to take care of it. And like you haven’t taken care of bunnies before. Don’t tell me you don’t like  bunnies? *gasp*_

**Shiro:** _you know I like animals, bunnies are just so .. skittish_

**Allura:** _from what I’ve heard from Matt, you tend to like skittish little creatures though_

**Shiro:** _um_

**Allura:** _it means exactly what you think it means_

**Shiro _:_** _urrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh Matt_

**Allura** : _aw, don’t blame him too badly. Why aren’t you admitting you like Keith? You know I hang out with his friends- and him- on occasion. He seems right up your alley._

**Shiro:** _my alley’s just, uh, full now_

**Allura:** _and it’s going to be full forever if you keep putting yourself to the backburner, darling._

**Shiro:** _he’s my student right now, it just- wouldn’t be quite appropriate. I don’t know. And his mom is sick. I can’t just go flirting with him like an idiot._

**Allura:** _oh, Shiro._

**Shiro:** _don’t oh shiro me. I’ll babysit the bunnies for your friend._

**Allura:** _she’ll be delighted, just throw her a text and tell her I’ll vouch for you!_

**Shiro _:_** _sure!_

**Allura:** _also.. I, well, we don’t mean to tease you, you know? It’s just been a while since you’ve shown interest in anyone_

**Shiro _:_** _I know, I know. Let’s just see where things go, okay?_

**Allura:** ;)

 

* * *

The chilly air bites Shiro’s cheeks as he steps out of his car to an unfamiliar driveway. It’s one of those cozy row houses downtown, this one adorned with a shiny silver number seven.

**Shiro:** _hey, just wondering, do you like bunnies?_

**Keith _:_** _…. why do you ask?_

**Shiro:** _no special reason : )_

**Keith:** _:D I guess they’re cute? Can’t compare to hippos though_

**Shiro _:_** _I knew you’d say that, aw_

**Keith:** _silence, you_

Shiro bites his lip to cover up the grin that threatens to break out. His heart races as he pockets his phone and steps right up to the door. The girl that answers is someone Shiro vaguely remembers. She leads him in and tells him everything he needs to know and then leads him to the bunnies. There are indeed three. All black and white, the third one a teeny-tiny baby. Shiro’s heart melts. He’s already kneeling down to greet them by the time the girl rattles on their names.

She laughs when Shiro reaches a hand gently towards the bunnies. Their twitching little noses are so cute.

Being left alone with them once the girl is gone isn’t so bad. Shiro plays with the bunnies a bit. He feeds them. He snaps a few pictures.

He comes back the next day with the girl’s spare key. He plays with them again. Snaps a few pictures and sends a couple to Keith, who responds with his usual Keithness. _(Having fun, are you?)_ Shiro nearly asks him if he’d like to join Shiro. Bites it back and focuses on the bunnies, their soft, soft furs and long, beautiful ears. On a whim Shiro gently grabs the only one who likes to be held and carefully puts her on his knee. He positions them so that the mirror can catch both his beaming face and the bunny, staring and huddling like an oversized fur hat.

Shiro snaps a picture, his prosthetic laying on the bunny’s fur _. I think she likes me,_ he captions the photo.

Keith’s answer flies back a minute later- an agonizing minute later. _Or she’s just frozen in fear from your hulking mass, Shiro._

Before Shiro can even react, Keith fires back another text. _Shit, I mean it’s not like you’re too big or anything I uh foot, meet mouth again_

Shiro snorts and scares the poor bunny away. He watches her hop away. Shiro nibbles his lip. _It’s fine, Keith. I realize what you meant. They’re just so cute._

Keith answers a second later. _You’re a true animal-lover, aren’t you?_

Shiro smiles, unaware how wide and silly it looks. “True that, Keith,” he murmurs and texts the same. He straightens and goes on with his bunny-sitting duties, feeling much warmer than before. That warmth remains when he returns home and gets ready for a visit to the library and then to the gym. His regular training clothes go under his windbreaker, a scarf around his neck and off he goes in his trusty car.

The warmth remains all the way to the library’s second floor and bursts into flames when he spots, because who else could it be, but Keith. Shiro goes through a few words of what he could open with. He taps Keith’s shoulder, Keith flinching and then looking up. He looks haggard as he takes off his headphones.

“Oh,” says Keith.

“We have to stop meeting like this, Keith,” Shiro murmurs as he leans closer. “Just thought I’d say hi. I’m here for a few Japanese books for my own stuff. I won’t bother you if you want to study.”

Keith draws his lip between his teeth and nibbles. “You’re not a bother.” He twirls his pen between his dexterous fingers. Shiro’s gaze flicks to them, then back to Keith’s eyes. “I could use a break. Unless you’re heading to the gym?” He gestures at Shiro’s get-up.

Shiro waves his hand dismissively. “I don’t have a set time.” He takes a seat right next to Keith, as the library tables really don’t lend themselves well to sitting on opposite sides. This, however, makes their knees brush. Keith jerks. Shiro clears his throat. “What are you working on?”

Keith’s tongue flicks over his lips. “Just a physics-project. What’s up? No more bunny-sitting for you then?”

“Haaa, maybe not. At least for a while. Managed to keep them alive and calm through a whole weekend so I’m glad about that.” Shiro scratches his scar. Their knees bump again. He looks so nervous. Should I leave? Is he interested? Am I creeping him out with my crush? What do I do? “Anything I can help with?”

Keith huffs. “No way. You’re already doing so much.”

“I could do more,” Shiro says gently and doesn’t quite understand why Keith’s ears go a little pink. They’re peeking quite cutely through Keith’s wavy dark hair.

“Just focus on your languages, Shirogane, let me worry about space and stuff,” Keith huffs but he’s at least smiling.

“What if I told you I liked space and stuff?”

Keith blinks. His eyes seem a little brighter. “You do?”

The topic hadn’t really come up during their lunches with their various friends. Shiro knows Keith takes Astrophysics but Keith doesn’t know that Shiro’s taken some side courses in everything space-related whenever he can. Or that Shiro watches everything space-related whenever he can.

“What’s there not to like? I applied to Astrophysics and Aerospace engineering at first but it kinda died when I realized I’m completely awful at Maths,” Shiro says. “like, honestly awful.”

Keith snorts. “So there is something you’re bad at?”

Shiro nudges him with an elbow. “There’re a lot of things I’m bad at. Maths. Keeping a consistent diet. Skipping leg day-“ is Shiro imagining it but did Keith’s gaze drop to his thigh for a second there? “- and relationships, you know. The whole she-bang.”

“Those don’t seem so bad,” Keith says. He watches Shiro with an intensity Shiro doesn’t quite know how to react to.

“Which part?” Shiro sets his hands on the table, leaning slightly closer. Their legs press closer, tighter, tighter.

“A lot of people are bad at those things,” Keith says. His gaze is drilling through Shiro. “Didn’t think you’d be bad at relationships, though. You’ve got a fanclub. And friends. I keep wondering why you’re still single. “ At that, Keith blushes. “Oh, fuck."

Shiro opens his mouth. Closes it. His fingers brush Keith’s. “Maybe I’m just undateable,” he mutters.

Keith huffs, clearly disbelieving.

Shiro licks his dry, dry lips. Very carefully he curls one finger around Keith’s finger. “You know, Keith, I-“ he’s barely started to speak when his phone begins to scream. He stands up with such speed that he downs his chair.

Keith is biting his lip. “Must be important,” he mutters.

“Oh god,” Shiro says and answers the phone, the ringtone telling him who the caller is clearly enough. “Hi, mom.”

Keith’s eyebrows lift. If the call had come two seconds later, Shiro might have- he swallows hard.

_“Am I interrupting anything, Takashi?”_

Shiro’s face twitches. He mouths ‘sorry’ at Keith. Keith shrugs. His face is so closed off Shiro wants to tell his mother to fuck off and let him continue to have a moment. Keith pulls his headphones back on so Shiro decides to leave.

“I’m at the library, could you call like ten minutes later?”

_“I’m on a schedule right now, you know. Can’t a mother call to hear from her son? Since he doesn’t seem to remember said mother exists? Your grandmother has asked after you, you know.”_

Shiro sighs. “I know, I know. I’m fine.”

And so the phonecall goes on: with him reassuring Kimiko Shirogane that everything’s fine, that she doesn’t have to use her considerable amount of money to come see him and snatch him back to Japan. She’s so overbearing that Shiro feels like he’s already gone through his training regime by the time he can finish.

And she had interrupted his moment with Keith.

Dammit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so it was fine yesterday when i posted it.. but apparently Ao3 had decided to cut off the ENTIRE END PART OF THIS CHAPTER.


	9. attraction: Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith gets a nice phone call. His friends are horrible in all the right ways.

“Keith? Earth to Keith!”

“I think he’s gone deaf.”

“No, guys, I just think he’s thinking about being enveloped in a certain professor’s beefy arms- “

Something snaps against Keith’s forehead, finally bringing him from his daydream into the present moment: to his friends and to the bustling coffee shop around them. He blinks. He rubs his forehead. His friends are staring at him: Lance with a smirk, Pidge with an expression that tells Keith that she’s barely holding back her laughter, Hunk with some fond concern.

“Oh,” Keith says. “I- uh- “his cheeks heat up. These days, he can’t seem to stop blushing.

His friends glance at each other.

“You spaced out pretty badly there, buddy,” Hunk says. “You okay?”

Keith clears his throat. “I was just- um – “

“Thinking about professor Shirogane’s beefy arms. I know, buddy, I know,” Lance says and savagely rips another piece from his croissant.

“No!” _Shiro’s finger curling around his own. Shiro’s voice telling him that Shiro could do more. If Keith wanted. Shiro always making sure Keith’s alright. Shiro sending silly animal-pictures._ Keith groans. “Yes. Haven’t you ever had a crush?”

Pidge awws.

Hunk smiles. “Are you going to tell him? Even though he’s your teacher right now?”

Keith’s jaw tightens. He shakes his head furiously. “He, uh. He doesn’t have time for- you know.” He waves his hand vaguely.

“Why don’t you? He likes you,” Lance says nonchalantly and finishes his croissant, speaking between bites. Pidge elbows him savagely.

Keith frowns. “No, he doesn’t.”

His friends throw looks at each other again. “Uh, yeah?” Pidge says. “Guess who he’s talking to most when we meet for lunch? Not any of us, that’s for sure. Not even Matt.”

“He’s just friendly to me because I’m- because we’re friends,” Keith tries. But Shiro hadn’t looked bothered when Keith had shoved his foot into his mouth again and again. And that finger-touch. But Keith doesn’t even dare to hope.

“You’re doing it again, buddy,” Hunk says. “Putting Shiro on a pedestal. Why wouldn’t he like you?”

Keith squirms in his seat. He hadn’t told his friends about his run-in with Shiro at the store. Or the library. Or the bunny-picture. “I’m not putting him on a pedestal! He told me he’s bad at relationships so he doesn’t really do them anyway! I’m fine with this. Really!”

Pidge rolls her eyes.

Lance snorts. “You practically combust every time he touches you. And he does. A lot.”

“No, he doesn’t.” Except when he lays his big, big hand on Keith’s shoulder and squeezes. And does it again. And again. Keith’s toes curl in his boots. “Come on, let’s just. No. Shut up, guys.”

Pidge rolls her eyes again. “Okay, be in denial. Frankly, it’s a little gross that Shiro seems to forget we even exist when you’re around. Am I right? I’m right, okay?”

“Of course you are, Katiepoo.”

“Shut the fuck up, Lance.”

Keith swallows hard, curling his fingers around his teamug, the tea in it gone cold a long time ago. _Is it just wishful thinking? Does he like me too? Could he like me too?_ He watches Pidge and Lance start scuffling. _I wish Shiro was a little less nice. Maybe I wouldn’t feel this way then._ He sighs and pushes his cold teamug away from himself.

Just then the bell rings above the coffee shop’s door.

Lance snorts. “Ohhhhhhhh boy. He must have a targeting system specifically for Keith.”

“Or this is the closest coffee shop to the campus, you doofus,” Pidge huffs. “And everyone knows teachers frequent this whenever the uni cafes are too full.”

Keith groans. “Please don’t tell me.”

“Yep,” says Hunk sweetly and pats his arm. “Hey Shiro!”

Keith rubs his face, desperately trying to get his blush to go down. When he lifts his gaze, he spots Shiro- in his professional get-up this time- hesitantly making his way to them, his wallet in his hand. Shiro’s eyes are warm when they land on Keith. Keith nods. Shiro smiles.

“Hi guys,” he says but he’s looking at Keith.

“The university café too full for you too, huh?” Pidge says and clangs her spoon against her mug.

Shiro shrugs. “Something like that. I really like the coffee in here. Of course, I like coffee everywhere, so.” He scratches his neck. He’s wearing his dark trench this time, the collar neatly pressed. Keith watches, rather helplessly, how the smile remains on Shiro’s lips, his strands tickling his forehead. Keith opens his mouth, but then his phone rings with a familiar tune.

“Oh, guys, just- wait a sec- “because it’s his mother’s ringtone, the one specifically for her. He digs out his phone with trembling fingers and shushes his friends. Shiro remains, his head tilted curiously to the side.

Keith presses the right button to answer the call, ‘ _mom’_ on the screen alongside her smiling picture.

“Mom?”

_“Hey, honey.”_

Instantly warmth and relief surges through Keith and he presses his hand to his mouth, taking a deep breath. His friends share looks. Shiro steps onwards, his palm heavy on Keith’s shoulder.

Keith draws a deep breath. “Are you- are you okay?”

His mother laughs. She sounds so tired. But she’s alive. She’s awake. And she’s calling him _. “Yes. I got discharged this morning. Your uncle Thace drove me home. I have such worrywart-brothers. All three of them are here. As are the kids, before you ask. I wanted to surprise you.”_ She draws a deep breath. _“Are you surprised?”_

Keith must make some kind of a noise, because Shiro’s grip tightens, just a bit and his mother sighs. _“Darling?”_

“I’m so glad, mom. Did they? did the doctors say anything?” Keith squeezes Shiro’s hand in turn and then withdraws, heads right outside the café into the chilly air. He can feel his friends’ gazes on him.

_“It’s epilepsy, sweetheart. Nothing life-threatening. Don’t worry, it’s going to be fine.”_

“Thank God,” Keith whispers and tries to be discreet in wiping his eyes. “I was so fucking worried.”

 _“Language,”_ Yukiko huffs.

“Shut up,” Keith huffs back and is delighted to hear his mother laugh.

 _“It’s all the time you spent with your uncles. They’ve probably ruined you,”_ she says gently. _“Anyway. Enough about me. How are you? Thace tells me you’re doing good in your studies. But what about everything else?”_ She coughs _. “Like that cute teacher?”_

Keith groans. “Not you too, mom!”

Yukiko giggles. She coughs again, a couple of times. _“Oh, dear. So I am right? There is a cute teacher? The same one you talked about few weeks ago?”_

Glancing behind himself, Keith notices his friends watching him through the glass. Shiro has sat down. He waves at Keith. Keith waves back after a moment of hesitation. “Y-yeah. There is. And he’s not really a teacher, he’s a phd-student.”

_“Same thing. He’s teaching you, is he not?”_

“Well, yes.”

 _“How scandalous,”_ Yukiko says. _“Have you told him you like him yet?”_

Keith rolls his eyes. “Mom!”

_“What! I know you need a little kick whenever you like someone. Which, mind you, is not often.”_

“And how do you even know I like this guy? Maybe I just think he’s cute and that’s that.” Keith grimaces. Foot, meet mouth.

_“I’m sorry to say, honey, but the moment you get this defensive… I’m your mother. I know.”_

“Dammit.” Keith shifts again, looking behind himself again. His friends are deep in a conversation. Shiro throws his head back and laughs. Keith’s treacherous, awful heart races at the sight of him. Quickly Keith focuses on the ground before Shiro notices him staring. Keith’s neck prickles.

 _“Don’t worry, honey. Is it just a crush? Or more?”_ Yukiko shifts. She clearly moves away from the phone because Keith hears her shout something intelligible. _“Sorry, just one of your nephews bullying the poor dog.”_

“Which one?” Keith licks his lips, glad for the change in subject. Except then his mother snorts.

_“Darling, don’t try to change the subject.”_

Dammit. “Well, it’s. It’s just a crush. Nothing more. Besides, I don’t want to jeopardize this course by making advantages. Or make him uncomfortable by coming onto him.” Keith shifts, kicks a little stone away from himself.

_“Like I’ve told you before with your previous crushes, darling. You do what you feel is best. But I’m going to tell you again that you have three options. One, you never tell him, and you never know if he might feel the same. Two, you tell him, and he rejects you. You feel bad for a few days, but it will pass. Heartache always does. Trust your mother. Three, you tell him and he reciprocates. Am I right or am I right?”_

Keith snorts. “You’re right. But honestly, maybe I’ll wait until the course is done. I don’t want anyone to think he’s favouring me. Even though there’s no final test or anything.” He glances behind himself again. Shiro’s head shifts, like he had just been staring at Keith. No. That couldn’t be. What does Keith gain from getting his hopes up? No one has ever reciprocated his feelings. Not ever. Then again, no one had ever ignited such fire in him. Keith rubs his chest over his racing heart.

_“You are such a good boy, kiddo. What’s this dream guy’s name?”_

Unable to muster up a counter-attack to the word’s ‘dream guy’ Keith mutters Shiro’s whole name. “But me- well, everyone calls him Shiro. He told me mister Shirogane makes him feel like his father. And that Takashi-“ Keith flushes furiously. “- is just too intimate.”

His mother aws.

Keith wraps his free arm around himself and smiles. “Shut up.”

_“Anyway, I hope you tell him. And when you do, I hope he says it back. And when you get together, remember to invite your poor old mother to the wedding, yes? And remember to tell him if he ever treats you wrong, you’ll kick his ass, yes? And that you have three uncles and a fearsome mother, yes?”_

Keith snorts and rolls his eyes fondly. “Oh, mom.”

 _“Love you too, sweetie,”_ Yukiko says and makes kissy sounds. She tells someone off again, apparently one of Ulaz’s kids again.

“I’ll keep you updated, mom. And you keep me updated too, on your condition. That’s non-negotiable.”  Keith has begun to shiver from the cold air. He draws it in, feeling his lungs fill up with the chill. It makes the pressure around his heart loosen.

_“Of course. Love you!”_

“Love you too, mom.” They end the call soon enough after that and Keith returns inside, rubbing his cold fingers. His friends instantly barrage him with questioning looks. Shiro pulls Keith’s chair for him and smiles when Keith sits down.

“Mom’s home.”

Shiro squeezes Keith’s shoulder. “I’m so glad to hear that, Keith.”

“That’s awesome,” his other friends echo.

“I think this calls for a celebration,” Lance says. He had apparently managed to order another croissant. “You, me, the rest of this rag-tag team of weirdoes and every single bar downtown this weekend. Yes?”

Keith snorts. “We both know you have two exams coming up.”

“Aww, shush. One night of partying never hurt no one.”

“Except-“ Pidge starts. “Don’t look at me like that, Lance. Everyone knows what you did in your first year.”

Shiro has withdrawn his hand- sadly- from Keith’s shoulder. He snickers. It’s a sound Keith has yet to hear from him and now it sends Keith’s already messed up head into a freefall. “As an authority figure and a seasoned warrior of student parties,” he says.

“I’m sure Keith wants-“ Lance says but the rest of his sentence disappears into a groan when Pidge kicks his chair.

Shiro huffs, soft pink on his cheeks. “Like I was saying. I would recommend a good party once in a while. I’m sure you all have enough stress to deal with. It would do good to let go once in a while. As long as your studies don’t suffer for it. Of course.”

Keith fiddles with his fingers, clenching and unclenching them. “Maybe later, Lance.”

“Aww,” says Lance but doesn’t insist.

They spend the rest of the afternoon at the café, chatting and laughing and at least trying to get some homework done. Shiro leaves first, bidding them all goodbye but not before smiling so warmly at Keith that Keith melts into a tiny vaguely human-shaped puddle.

“Aww,” Pidge says.

“Sure, I always look at my bro like that,” Lance snorts.

“I’m about 99,99% sure he likes you,” Hunk says. “Romantically.”

Keith groans and hides his face behind his hands. “But-“

“Well, it’s up to you if you wanna tell him you have the hots for him too,” Lance says. His grin is wide and a little dangerous. “Oh, mister Shirogane, I wanna have your babies- ha, missed!”

Keith’s badly-done napkin-airplane does miss and end up on the floor between Hunk and Lance’s chairs.

“You’re all awful,” Keith huffs.

“Maybe. You like us anyway,” Lance says and fistbumps Hunk.

“Just tell us when you finally stop thinking he couldn’t possibly like you back,” Pidge huffs. “And tell him. And your mom’s fine, right? And you’re doing amazing at your studies. And you have like, five lessons left in the course anymore anyway, right?” At Keith’s nod, she leans back on her chair dangerously. “Honestly, it’s a little painful to watch you two pine so much like two idiots.”

“I hate you all,” Keith says again, unconvincingly. His lips twitch into a smile _. Does Shiro like me? Like-like me? oh god. What do I do?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you thought this fic was gonna have a big plot you're wrong 
> 
> it's nothing but fluff until the end of the universe
> 
> also we're so not gonna reach 15 chapters since these boys are starting to burst apart at the seams. Oh dear!


	10. i like you, i like you: Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some hand-holding happens.

There are a great amount of stolen glances between the two of them, conversations, texts filled with animal pictures- Keith had rescued a kitten from a park and had snapped a photo of the ferocious orange little thing roaring at Keith’s wide eyes. Shiro had melted on the spot even if Keith hadn’t kept the kitten as Pidge is deathly allergic. There’s six weeks left of the short course, the previous ones filled with chatter and Shiro’s growing self-confidence in teaching.

Every time the lesson ends, Keith is the last to leave- and the first to arrive- and he bids his goodbyes to Shiro. Keith has begun to smile at him again: a soft little thing that stays in Shiro’s head thorough the day. And, a little shamefully, through a couple of sweaty, hot nights that end in unbearably cold showers.

By now, Shiro’s pretty damn sure Keith is attracted to him. No, not just that. That Keith likes him. Like-likes him. It’s in that soft, soft smile and the way Keith’s attention seems to always fall on him to the extent on forgetting whoever else is present. Keith stumbles adorably through his exercises during class when Shiro walks by. Keith keeps on blushing and Shiro wonders how he ever thought it was because Keith’s uncomfortable.

But there’s six weeks left of this course. But there’s Shiro’s own mess of a head. But there’s the doubt that Keith would even like him after getting to know Shiro out of school: he’s a slob, he’s filled with scars from the accident and he believes stupid things and has more nightmares than he can count. And Keith’s- well. Keith’s cute. Keith’s funny, sarcastic, cares about his mother as much as Shiro cares about his and Keith is so damn determined during the lessons that Shiro has a hard time not staring at that curious little frown between Keith’s dark eyebrows.

Shiro has heard all about Keith’s uncles too. Has even seen a photo of tiny Keith on one of their- Thace, was it?- shoulders, tiny hands reaching into the sky.

Shiro’s heart races, races, races when Keith so much as appears in his presence. His palm goes clammy, his mouth goes dry, his throat goes dry. He lays his hand on Keith’s shoulder whenever he can, squeezes it, answers Keith’s little smiles. He dares to lay his hand on Keith’s back once in a while to guide him, can imagine how warm Keith’s skin is under his clothes.

The moment Shiro makes Keith laugh is the moment Shiro’s soul ascends to heaven. Figuratively.

If only he didn’t see the dreams: at least they are not nightmares but the two times Shiro’s woken up with his sheets tangled around his legs, it had been hard to face Keith. It’s not like Shiro’s ashamed of his feelings, he’s never been. But what does Shiro know of the extent of Keith’s possible feelings for him? Shiro can’t know if Keith wants to kiss him as much as Shiro wants to kiss him.

In the dream, it had been sweet: the kiss, the touch, Shiro’s fingers sliding through Keith’s hair that’s as silky as he had imagined it to be.

It should frighten him, maybe, to know that he’s gone for his friend, completely gone but it doesn’t.

Shiro rejoices in it, allows himself to be a little selfish and basks in the attention Keith gives him. There had been people before, attracted to him, him attracted to them but no one had ever quite ignited him this way, not in such a short time.

Keith’s a firecracker, his faded red leather jacket reminding Shiro of all the rebels in movies and on the streets. The same leather jacket that Keith’s wearing right now, on this nice, lazy Saturday-afternoon, standing in front of Shiro in the vegetable-aisle. Keith’s hair is free to peek out from underneath his beanie, his scarf sadly hiding his mouth from view but Shiro can imagine it has formed a pout like it usually does when Keith’s deep in thought.

Shiro feels underdressed in his usual sloppy get-up, hastily tries to wipe his hair from his forehead and loosen his own sloppily made up scarf before Keith notices.

But Keith does, his head snapping up from observing the produce. First his eyes widen, then he tugs his scarf from his mouth that’s quickly forming a smile.

“Hi, again,” he says.

Shiro scratches his chin and smiles back. “Hi. Come here often?” It just _slips_ out.

Keith snorts and rolls his eyes. It doesn’t escape Shiro’s notice that Keith’s cheeks are pink. “Not that often. I survive on Mac and Cheese. And coffee.” Keith tugs his scarf even looser and straightens. His basket is empty, his grocery bag laying in a heap in it.

Shiro’s own grocery bag is tucked underneath his arm along with his wallet. “It’d be good to eat healthier,” he says before he can stop it.

Keith rolls his eyes. “Okay, mom. I eat my greens.”

Shiro shifts, a hot flush running through him. “You know what I mean.” He moves closer, carefully nudging Keith his arm. “What are you buying?”

“Look at us, hanging out in a fucking grocery store,” Keith huffs. “Green stuff. Some red stuff. I figured I’d make something nice for myself and nothing for my annoying roommates.” The way he says it, however, makes Shiro think Keith doesn’t think his roommates are that bad. Keith’s even smiling as he picks a bunch of healthy big bell peppers and tosses them into his basket.

“What have they done now?”

“Pestered me.” For some reason, this seems to make Keith flustered.

“Isn’ t that the point of friends? To make you see the harsh truths of the world?” Shiro nudges Keith gently again. Keith throws him a look. Shiro throws one back. Maybe it’s selfish of Shiro to do this, this almost-flirting thing when he’s just not sure himself of anything, much less if he wants to mess up himself and Keith by doing this. Maybe it’s selfish. But when Keith looks at him like that, in a way that makes Shiro’s toes curl, Shiro can’t bring himself to stop.

“The point of friends is to not be so damn annoying,” Keith huffs. “And now my mom’s in it too.”

“In what?”

Keith clears his throat. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” He doesn’t move away from Shiro, instead nudges him back. “Aren’t you buying anything?”

Shiro, mesmerized by the way the bright lights make Keith’s eyes look so shiny, doesn’t immediately answer. He clears his throat too. “Of course. Of course. Do you want me to leave you alone?”

Keith shakes his head. “Come on then, big guy.”

Shiro’s brain short-circuits, his hand freezing in the air, halfway on its way to Keith’s back. Big… guy? He lifts an eyebrow when Keith glances at him.

“Was that- foot, in my mouth, again?”

Shiro shakes his head. “Well. You are pretty small-“ it’s worth it to see Keith flip him off. With a laugh, Shiro places his hand on Keith’s lower back, guides him onwards. His palm looks ridiculously big on Keith’s back and faintly Shiro thinks he can feel Keith’s body radiating heat. Shiro only lets go when Keith stops again.

They chat about meaningless things between filling up Keith’s basket and Shiro’s bag. Shiro gets a promise from Keith to not ditch his Japanese homework and to try to check out the local gym.

“And I like your lessons,” Keith says when they finally emerge from the cereal-section. Keith had let go of the more the sugary ones with minimal pouting after Shiro had hinted at a nice strawberry-filled cereal-brand.

“I’m glad,” Shiro says. “I’m constantly on the edge that I’m doing an awful job. I know I’m not since nobody’s ditched the class yet and you all are doing a great job but still. You can’t shake years of self-doubt that easily.”

“Self-doubt?” Keith nudges him.

Shiro huffs. “Ah. It’s not a grocery store-conversation, Keith. I’ll tell you one day, okay?” Or maybe he won’t. Maybe after they don’t see each other weekly Keith will realize there’s someone else close to his own age, someone more his peer than Shiro is. Maybe Keith doesn’t even like scars. Maybe- Shiro determinedly shoves such self-deprecating thoughts away. He’s doing a fine job in being Keith’s friend. They’re good as friends. They don’t need to be anything else.

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Shiro pats Keith’s back. Such warmth appears in Keith’s eyes before he turns them away. Keith shifts his basket on his arm and offers one hand to Shiro, pinky finger extended. Keith bites his lip, although a grin still threatens to break out.

“Pinky promise?” How coyly he’s looking from underneath his lashes. Does Keith even realize how devastatingly good-looking he is?

Shiro rolls his eyes fondly. He hooks his pinky around Keith’s, much like they had hooked their fingers in the library. “Pinky promise.” They squeeze fingers before withdrawing.

Together they finish their shopping and pay up before heading outside.

“Which way are you going, Shiro?” Keith has tightened his scarf again, his fingerless gloves making him look like a cute little punk.’

“Another direction from you, I guess,” Shiro says. “Unless you want me to walk you?”

Keith’s nose wrinkles. “Don’t be stupid.”

Shiro feels a pang. “Ow.”

Keith shoves at him. “Not what I mean, you idiot. It’s not like I don’t want you to. I just… live so close.”

“Never realized you do. Can I see your building from here?” Shiro leans closer, peering over Keith’s shoulder like he could see through the dingy little road and the woods surrounding them to where most of the inhabited buildings are.

“No, you can’t. You wouldn’t wanna see it anyway, it’s full of shitty graffiti.”

“Noo, not the graffiti!” Shiro snorts and dodges Keith’s elbow.

“I’m going now to make my delicious stuff. And none for you or my roommates, bye.” Keith shoves his hands into his pockets and throws him another look.

Shiro wants to kiss him and kiss him and kiss him. It makes him almost delirious. You’re cute, Keith. He licks his lips. “Give me your hand first.”

Keith frowns. “Why?”

Shiro’s heart races and races and races. He bites his lip. “Just… please? Indulge me.”

Keith snorts but does extend his hand. Shiro grabs it, marvels at how well their palms fit together. “Your hand’s really warm, Keith.”

“And yours is chilly as fuck.”

Shiro gives it a tug, pulling Keith closer. “You know, Keith. I’ve kinda- begun to- uh.” _Words, why are you still coming out of my mouth? Why am I suddenly confessing?_ Shiro’s fingers tickle Keith’s bared wrist. “Ah, no matter.” Six weeks left of this. Remember, he hasn’t seen your place or your nightmares or your body. _Does he even like you for you? Or just the mental image of you as professor Shirogane, the guy who has it all together?_ “No matter, honestly.”

Keith’s laugh seems to echo around them, a sudden, ringing sound. “What even is going on in your head, Shiro?” He squeezes Shiro’s hand, his grin crooked. His eyes are so dark and pretty that Shiro’s knees feel weak. Who’s got who ensnared? Shiro can’t tell anymore.

“I don’t know. Gotta be all that grocery shopping,” Shiro huffs and pulls his hand back. His skin seems to tingle.

Keith’s laughter dies but his smile remains. “You’re such a weird guy, Shiro.”

“In a good way I hope,” Shiro says and walks backwards a few steps, waving goodbye to Keith before beginning to jog back towards home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next up: could it be... could it be???!!


	11. i like you, i like you: Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just listen to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZkih54evUs) and [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT-IK2H2StI) while reading
> 
> once again, the art for this chapter is drawn by the lovely [yumikoyuki](http://yumikoyuki.tumblr.com/post/169512518324/keiths-nose-wrinkles-its-kinda-hard-not-to)

_And now it’s five times left._ Keith watches as Shiro goes through his final statements of today’s lesson, watches the line of Shiro’s throat, watches Shiro’s distracting, beautiful hands gesture at the blackboard. _Five times left and then I will confess. Five times. Five more weeks of this. Of being friends with Takashi fucking Shirogane. I’m going to die._ Keith taps his fingers on the table, thinking back to Shiro’s latest text: an intricate little story about a pair of Golden Retriever-puppies Shiro had ran into and apparently befriended and charmed the pants off their owner. Apparently said owner had roped Shiro into dog-sitting since he was so “good with them.’

Keith watches Shiro smile at the class and tell them he’s proud of them and can feel a blush forming. Heat surges right up his face when Shiro glances at him, face softening. Keith pulls up his hood and pulls the strings tight, taking a moment to breathe.

It’s hard not to think back to last night and to the goddamn dream. Those same hands that currently wipe the blackboard had been roaming all over Keith. The same voice that had bid the students farewell for this week had told Keith that he’s a good boy. A good fucking boy. Now there’s a kink Keith never knew he even had. He knows there’s a bit of a thing with authority figures: one of his earliest crushes in his life had been a teacher too but this? This is something else. Apparently Keith’s subconscious agrees because in the dream Shiro had taken this calm and mature persona and used it in bed. With Keith.

Shiro in bed. With me. Oh god. Okay. He’s looking. Where did everyone else go already?

“You okay?” Says Shiro, the real one who’s leaning against Keith’s usual table. His head is even tilted, like a curious little puppy. Not that there’s anything little about Shiro.

“Ugnngh,” says Keith and unravels himself from his hoodie. “J-just spacing out.” Don’t look at his biceps so much. Come on. He’s got to feel self-conscious by now. Keith tries a smile and it works, because Shiro smiles back.

“I can see that,” he huffs. “Best be off, the next teacher will be here any minute and we don’t want to be in the way. What’s your next class? I’ll walk you.” Shiro has tugged his own folders under his arm. He’s wearing one of those white dress shirts again, the black vest doing nothing except accentuate his ridiculous physique.

Keith may or may not be drooling. Especially because he had gotten very, very intimately acquainted with said physique in last night’s dream. He quickly licks his lips and gets up, gathering his things. He follows Shiro out of the classroom.

“Uh, I just have this one Physics-thing and then I’m free. Have you had lunch yet?”

Shiro hums. “Sorry, yes.” He adjusts the folders under his arm and leads Keith around a corner. “Next time with you guys, alright? Matt’s too busy again to join up.”

“Too bad,” Keith murmurs and glances at Shiro. Shiro’s lips have curled into a smile. Keith wants to clutch his chest and maybe die. “Next time then.”

“Next time,” Shiro says and then he stops, his palm finding Keith’s head. He ruffles his hair and grins at Keith’s surprised squeak. “Sorry. Got you smiling again, didn’t I?”

“You’re so-“ Keith huffs and tries to get his messy hair into some semblance of an order. “I can’t even be mad at you.” He hadn’t imagined Shiro’s hand lingering on his head for a moment longer, right? It’s so hard to breathe next to Shiro. Yet it’s somehow easier. Keith’s poor heart is going overboard, unable to decide if it wants to calm down or race.

“I’m glad,” Shiro says, his voice gone soft. “I don’t think I could bear it if you were mad at me, Keith.”

Say my name again. Say it again. Say it again and again and again. Keith draws a deep breath. He wrinkles his nose, unable to fight off the blush. “Stop saying such things.” Do you mean them? Do you like me? Is that it? Do you like me as much as I like you?

“Never,” Shiro snorts.

Keith huffs. “This is my stop, so to say. See you around, Shiro. Have a good weekend.

“ You too, Keith,” Shiro says, his fingers brushing Keith’s arm. Shiro’s the first to turn and walk away, but he glances over his shoulder, waving at Keith. Keith waves back.

Right on time, because in the next second Keith realizes he has more company, namely, Allura with something shimmery on her lips and surprisingly, Lance. Not that Lance being around is surprising- or Allura, since she’s the TA for thie class but them being together is surprising.

“Aww,” Lance snorts and elbows Keith hard.

“Fuck off,” Keith says and shoves him.

Allura’s eyebrow lifts. “Friendly with you, isn’t he? What was he even doing here?”

Keith narrows his eyes at her. He doesn’t know her as well as his other friends but she’s got to know. She’s more Shiro’s friend anyway. “He was just- seeing me off.”

“Aww,” says Lance again and this time avoids Keith’s shove. “Mister Shirogane’s still looking like a tall drink of water, isn’t he? Did you remember to take you water bottle with you, Keithy boy?”

Keith grimaces. “Shut up, already. And what about you? How come are you two hanging around?”

The reactions he gets are rather curious. Both Allura and Lance glance at each other, then away. Allura clears her throat. Lance fidgets, his grin making his lips twitch. “Can I?” He asks her, softer than Keith’s ever heard him talk.

Allura huffs. “Oh, what the hell.”

Keith lifts both of his eyebrows, his arms crossed.

Lance begins to beam. “I asked her out.” He nudges her arm and with some hesitation, she opens her hand. Their hands intertwine. “And kissed her.”

Keith huffs. “Huh.”

“Told you he’d be too dumbfounded to say much,” Allura says and lets go of Lance’s hand. But she lingers near him, looking somehow so damn regal.

“Just huh?” Lance narrows his eyes. “You jealous?”

Keith rolls his eyes. “Of what? Of course, I’m happy for you.” He nudges Lance. “Although I don’t quite know what she sees in you- “he grins at Lance’s indignant squeak, “- I’m glad.”

“Why, thank you,” says Allura and for the first time since Keith’s known her, he sees a faint hue on her cheeks.

“Now if only we could get you your man,” Lance starts but quiets down when Keith shoots him a glare.

“I don’t want to pester Shiro,” Keith murmurs.

 _“I don’t want to pester Shiro,”_ Lance mimics. “Buddy, no friends I know look at each other like he looks at you. And like you look at him. Come on.”

Keith squirms. “I’ll get there. Don’t pester me. It’s not like I can just-“ he gestures vaguely. “Just. You know. Do it. Say it. What’s he even gonna think?”

Allura and Lance share one more glance. Since when do they even have glances, Keith can’t even tell. “Uh, tell you he loves you too?” Lance shrugs.

Keith blushes. “No, he doesn’t.”

Lance snorts and shoves Keith towards their usual seats once they spot the teacher finally coming. “So, maybe not love-love with the big L and all, but honestly. What, do you need proof? He’s so fucking gone for you.”

Shiro does touch him a lot. Shiro does look at him a lot. But Shiro’s nice to everyone. But- Keith takes a seat, taking out his pencil case and staring ahead. But. Does Shiro smile at everyone like that? Does Shiro keep his hand on everyone else’s shoulders so much? Who else does he send animal pictures and stories to? Keith sighs and hides his face. “I like him more than I’ve ever liked anyone, Lance.”

Lance huffs. “That much is clear. My recommendation is telling him face to face. It’s not like you have to instantly go to sucking face-“

Keith makes some kind of a choked-up noise. Lance pats his back.

“Unless you two want to, of course. But honestly. It will feel better. Okay? Trust me. I get crushes and fall in love weekly. Not now though, obviously. Allura’s the one for me.”

Keith groans. “I had a dream about him last night. Not even the first one. But this one- if there’s someone gone for anyone, it’s me for him.”

Lance pats his back again. “Just tell him. Honestly, it makes me feel bad seeing you mope and pine so much.”

Keith lifts his head. “You think I should? You think I really should?”

It takes Lance some admirable self-control not to roll his eyes. He huffs instead. “Duh? Like we’ve been telling you for weeks. Just go to his office or whatever and throw it in his face and run away afterwards if you want.”

Keith presses his hand to his chest, to his chest. His heart is feeling like it’s going to jump out any second or explode. “For the last few days he’s sent me a good morning-text and telling me of the different dogs he spots on his morning run.”

“Oh my god. Marry the man already.”

“Urrghhh.” Keith hides his face again and refuses to come out.

X

Despite his hesitation, his doubts, he finds himself heading for Shiro’s office later that day. He’s already dressed in jacket, his scarf pulled tight, his beanie low on his head. His fingers keep curling into fists, then loosening, then fisting up again. He shoves them into his pockets until it’s time to knock. _What if he isn’t even in his room?_

“Yes?”

 _Oh fuck._ Keith’s heart goes on overdrive _. I meant five weeks. After the course is done. But I can’t deal with this anymore. I have to know._

“It’s open,” Shiro’s voice floats to the corridor again, now sounding a little amused.

“Oh. Oh. Right.” Keith steps in, pushing the door closed behind himself. He’s never been to Shiro’s office before and is not at all surprised at how neat it is. Shiro himself is – oh god. Those are. Reading glasses. Fucking. Reading glasses.

Shiro blinks. “Keith! Hello.” He smiles, takes those distracting glasses off and leans back on his chair. “I thought you went home already. Everything alright?”

Keith feels way too hot in his thick jacket and beanie, way too hot. He fidgets. “Uhm. So. My friends, well, friend since I only saw Lance .” _Tell him. Tell him. Tell him._ “Kinda got me thinking.” _He said he’s bad at relationships. He’s been flirting with me for weeks. For days. Hasn’t he? He didn’t mind when I fucked up in front of him._

Shiro tilts his head. “Keith?”

“Shush.” Keith swallows hard. He stares at Shiro’s shoulder. Then gets distracted by the fact that Shiro’s vest hangs open. Keith stares at Shiro’s jaw. Then meets his eyes. Instantly a blush deepens on Keith’s cheeks. He fidgets harder. “Shiro,” he whispers.

Shiro’s smile fades and he stands up. “Keith? Are you okay?”

Oh, how badly Keith wishes Shiro was less considerate, less fucking mature. Keith kind of hates him. More than that, Keith hates the fact that he likes Shiro. Shiro’s dorky hair and cool prosthetic and animal-pictures and considerate, sweet nature and the fucking pinky promise they had made.

Keith draws a deep breath, his jaw tight.

“Keith.” Shiro is looking at him, really looking.

Keith stares up at him, lips parted. It’s now or never, Keith. Just say it. “Shiro.” He inhales deeply again, licks his lips. He lifts his hands, his fingertips brushing the front of Shiro’s shirt.

Shiro stands very, very still, a tiny frown between his eyebrows. He’s not saying a thing, just staring. Even his hands are behind his back, leaning towards Keith just slightly.

“I thought I would wait until the course is done,” Keith says, his voice gone soft and low, like a whisper. “But I just- you’re not making it easy. I thought if I said anything now, it would distract you during class and all and I never want to fuck up things for you.”

Shiro still stares, silent, safe. He nods.

“I wish you were a bit shittier of a person so I could just ignore this thing.”

“Sorry,” Shiro whispers. He’s looking and looking and looking and his hands are lifting, slowly, carefully and taking Keith’s hands and holding. Shiro’s hands are very warm, both of them. Keith barely notices the difference between them, too distracted by Shiro’s beautiful eyes.

“You know what I’m going to say, don’t you?” Keith licks his lips again, his breathing quickening.

“I’d like to hear it, Keith,” Shiro says. His thumbs begin to stroke Keith’s hands.

“Fuck you,” Keith says. But he’s not leaving.

Shiro smiles. That smile breaks it, the wall between the right words and Keith’s mouth. That same damn sweet smile that Keith by now is sure is directed only at him. Maybe it’s selfish to think that way, but Keith will have this, dammit.

“I like you.”

Shiro’s smile widens.

Keith squeezes his hands and lets his hands be squeezed in return. “Although you’re a weirdo and I was trying to be nice and keep this shit to myself but I like you, I like you, dammit. I like you.”

“Thought so,” Shiro whispers. “I wasn’t going to presume things but I have had a feeling for some time now that you do.” He licks his lips too and sighs. “But I wasn’t going to say or do anything, not while the course was going and I wasn’t completely sure.”

“And?” Keith can feel how much his face wants to pout. He fights against the urge.

“Oh, Keith,” says Shiro and pulls Keith into a hug, slowly enough that Keith can pull away any time he wants. “Don’t you get it? I like you too.” 

Shiro’s arms are thick and warm and although Keith is already overheated, he wraps his arms around Shiro’s small waist too.

“You do?”

“Oh, Keith.” This time Shiro laughs. “Yes. Yes. Yes. I like you. Oh God. How often did I think about saying it out loud and here we are.”

Shiro squeezes him a little too tight but Keith wants him even tighter. Keith closes his eyes. “Oh. I wasn’t- I didn’t think if I-“ he blushes. “I wasn’t going to hope.”

Shiro withdraws, just enough to meet Keith’s eyes. “Hope? Do you think that highly of me? Or so little of yourself?”

Keith wants to pull up his scarf to hide himself. His hands remain on Shiro’s sides. “It’s not like I don’t think I’m not worthy or whatever. But you’re- you’re you.”

“And you’re you.” Shiro takes off Keith’s hat in favour of combing through Keith’s hair. He does everything so carefully Keith’s heart aches. “I’m a person just like you and Lance and Allura. I’m not perfect. Oh no. I’m far from it.”

Keith’s nose wrinkles. “It’s kinda hard not to think that way, though.” He looks away. Then back to Shiro’s eyes. “Hey. Hey, Shiro.”

“Yes?” Shiro strokes Keith’s cheeks. Even his prosthetic, with all its flat metallic surfaces, feels calming.

Keith’s mouth twitches. “We don’t have to- to- do anything or decide anything but I just.” Keith bites his lip. Instead of saying it out loud, he gets on his tip-toes and leans closer.

“Oh,” says Shiro. Pleased, low.

“Shush,” says Keith and then their lips meet, complete with all the fireworks and racing hearts and clammy palms Keith has come to expect with crushes and love and like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a few more things and then i think we're done
> 
> i hope the slow burn was worth it <3


	12. come on baby, light my fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few afterwords and a few little touches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen to [this ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deB_u-to-IE) and [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv8e2oLW0v0)

_Come on baby, light my fire_  
_Come on baby, light my fire_  
_Try to set the night on fire_

_*_

Shiro likes to think he has good self-control over things like sugar cravings, salt cravings, skipping leg day and so forth. And he generally does! He can tell himself that no, you can’t have that, you really shouldn’t have that and it works. He can tell himself that yes, you should do this, you need to do this and it works.

Except when it comes to Keith goddamn Keogh, all that flies straight out of the window. Shiro had promised himself not to say a thing or do a thing before the course is done because who knows? Maybe Keith’s crush on him is a passing thing. From what Keith’s told him, after all, most of his crushes and a couple of short relationships had been passing things.

That promise had worked fine to an extent, except for a few slip-ups when the words Keith, I like you, I like you so much I’m going to burst had almost stumbled out of his mouth.

But then Keith had appeared in his office, looking flushed but determined and had decimated every single one of Shiro’s defenses with one look and a few words.

Shiro doesn’t regret that kiss. Not one bit. Not even when his friends take notice of his dreamy looks and make serious fun, not even when Matt wiggles his eyebrows when he tells them in whisper that Keith and him confessed to each other.

Keith and Shiro, however. They still text like usual, Shiro texts him good morning daily but has added a little heart with it. It makes him smile. But they have not had the time to really sit down and talk since Keith has a couple of exams to study for and the Japanese course is heading towards it end- which means it’s soon time for Shiro to return fully to his thesis.

But they make do. They manage to have lunch at least once a week with their friends. They are subtle enough that most people probably don’t notice, but their friends do. Especially when Keith accidentally kicks Shiro in the ankle too hard.

“Sorry,” Keith murmurs.

“It’s okay,” Shiro says and smiles at him.

Keith smiles back to the chorus of awws around the table.

They don’t really make anything official. They don’t even manage a kiss after the first one for three whole weeks before Keith finally corners Shiro in his office and locks the door.

“Just a second. Just for a second,” Keith says and yanks off his beanie.

Shiro loves that stupid beanie.

They hug, they take a moment to kiss, another kiss as sweet as the first one but then Shiro’s phone rings and Keith has to run to get to his bus. But they’re both still beaming for minutes afterwards.

Oh. It feels good to admit it. Some part of him still expects Keith to run away. Some part of him still expects that Keith is going to be put off by Shiro being so cowardly and denying Keith’s need but Keith still comes to him, beaming and works his damn ass off during Shiro’s classes. Apparently during all of his classes.

 **Shiro:** _I’m so proud of you, you’re ace <3_

 **Keith:** _shush_

 **Shiro:** _< 3_

 **Keith:** _Shiro_

 **Shiro:** _: ) what?_

**Keith:** _nerd_

**Shiro:** _you are <3_

 **Keith:** _stop making me blush in class_

 **Shiro:** _< 3_

**Keith _:_** _… <3_

At first Shiro had feared that kissing Keith and admitting their feelings for each other would affect his classes: but they don’t. Not really. The class is a bit of a handful for Shiro and his heart does strange little lurches every time he glances at Keith and finds Keith glancing at him. But Shiro manages to teach without hiccups and Keith manages to learn.

Shiro asks him to stay after one of the classes with the guise of asking him about his mother’s health: instead Shiro steals the quickest little kiss.

“Can I-“ Keith licks his lips, then bites the lower one in a way that’s utterly devastating to Shiro’s nether regions. Actually, all of his regions. Especially his brain. “Can I see your apartment?”

Shiro had had to do some real self-control exercises to not offer Keith a ride home from school. Multiple times. He wants to touch his – whatever Keith is- constantly, now that he knows his feelings are completely recipropated.

“Not just yet,” Shiro says. He reaches to tuck a dark strand behind Keith’s ear. “I’d rather not let any untoward rumours start about us. Okay? Just wait a bit.” A pet name burns on his tongue but he bites it back. Not just yet. Not just yet.

He shoos Keith away before anyone can spot them standing so close but he sends a couple of apologetic messages afterwards.

Keith tells him that he’s being an idiot. And that Keith’s friends want to have a conversation.

Shiro rolls his eyes but agrees to it anyway. He’s got nothing but at least half-noble intentions towards Keith, after all.

*

The first time that Shiro sees where Keith lives happens during that conversation, the evening right before the final Japanese class and the final time Shiro will be Keith’s teacher.

Shiro sits on the couch, hands on his knees and a tea cup in front of him on the shoddy coffee table. Keith sits next to him, their knees pressed together. Pidge is lounging on one of the armchairs. Hunk is lounging on the other one. Lance is standing, clearly trying to seem intimidating but his mouth keeps twitching.

“So, Shiro,” Lance says. “Did you know that you gave Keith a serious authority kink-!” Lance dodges the pillow just in time.

Keith’s face is fire-red. “Jesus fucking Christ.”

Shiro blinks. “Auth- Keith?”

Keith rolls his eyes and nudges Shiro’s knee. “He’s talking shit. They just want to be shits at you too. Don’t mind them.”

“Rude,” remarks Pidge, clearly more interested in her phone although Keith and Shiro can both see her gaze on them from time to time.

“We just want to make sure no one’s hurting our precious Keithy-boy,” Lance says after emerging again from behind Hunk.

“I don’t think Shiro’s hurting anyone,” Hunk remarks gently. “And that his intentions towards our friend are completely noble. Right?”

Keith bites his lip. It’s true they hadn’t done anything. But Keith wants a little something more. Shiro wants a little something more. “Not too noble, I hope,” Keith murmurs.

Shiro’s face heats up. He shifts his hand, quickly squeezes Keith’s knee. “You know, I’m really not an axe murderer or only after Keith’s b-body or anything,” Shiro says. He rubs the bridge of his nose. He’s really overheated in his dress shirt and vest, having come here straight after university.

“Aw,” whispers Keith, nudging him right back.

“I sure hope not,” Hunk huffs. “Anyways, I wasn’t really going to do this, intervention-thing anyway. I know Keith can take care of himself perfectly fine-“

“Damn right I can-“

“-and I think we know you Shiro by now well enough that you wouldn’t hurt a fly-“

“Well, if it hurt me first-“

“But we just want to say that it’s been forever since any of us saw Keith with anyone and we’re kinda.” Hunk laughs, awkwardly. “Oh man, this wasn’t even my idea. Does anyone want more tea? I can make more tea.” He gets up and heads for the kitchen.

“I’d like some,” Pidge pipes up. “Make it extra-hot.”

“This feels a little like meeting a dating partner’s parents,” Shiro whispers to Keith. “Do they still not trust me?”

Keith huffs. “Of course they do, silly.” He squeezes Shiro’s thigh in return, his smirk returning full-force. “They’re just being annoying. You really didn’t have to come here, you know.”

“You don’t want me here?” Shiro tries his best to pout. Apparently something works because Keith snorts. And in turn, Lance snorts too.

“Now that’s a face I didn’t except the university’s golden boy to make,” Lance flops down on the chair Hunk vacated. “Just wanted to make sure.”

Keith’s eyes narrow. “Make sure of what?” Shiro is rather distracted by the fact that Keith’s hand is still on his thigh.

Lance’s grin fades into a smile, a genuine, little smile. “No matter what you say, Keith, but you’re a pretty sensitive guy. We, well, I wanted to make sure my best friend gets a good guy.”

Keith blinks.

Shiro blinks, slowly wrapping his arm around Keith’s shoulders.

“That was-“ Keith blinks again. “Your best friend?”

Lance huffs. “Buddy, I’m wounded. Since when are we not best friends?”

“Isn’t Hunk your best friend?” Pidge pipes up again from her chair where she’s lounged further down by now.

Lance rolls his eyes dramatically. “Little pidgeon, you know that a man with such a big heart as I can have two best friends, right?”

Pidge rolls her eyes and audibly sighs.

“You do know that it’s not really your place to say who I date?” Keith crosses his arms.

“Of course it isn’t,” Lance says, still with that surprisingly reasonable tone. “Anyways, awkward moment over, Shiro looks at you like you hung the moon so who’s needing some pizza? Because I need me some fucking pizza. Hunk! My main man, my best buddy! Do we have pizza stuff!” He hops off in a flash and is gone in a flash.

Pidge follows suit, muttering something about homework.

“They’re just worried,” Shiro says after they have been left alone. He doesn’t remove his arm from Keith’s shoulders. Keith doesn’t withdraw his hand from Shiro’s thigh.

“I wouldn’t give you the time of my day if I didn’t think you were worth it,” Keith huffs. He shifts again, leaning more of his weight against Shiro.

Something warm and lovely is blossoming inside Shiro, like it has been since he first laid eyes on Keith. “And, you know. Keith?”

Keith hums.

Shiro carefully lifts Keith’s chin. Their eyes lock onto each other. “Dating? So you want to-?”

Keith rolls his eyes and gently kicks Shiro’s ankle. “For being pretty much the star pupil of our school, you can be a real goddamn dumbass.”

Shiro’s fingers still linger under Keith’s chin. “Aw, I’m hurt.”

“Of course I want to date you,” Keith huffs. “I thought we kinda already were.”

“Just wanted to make sure,” Shiro says and strokes Keith’s chin with his thumb. “You haven’t even seen where I live yet.” _And how scarred I am. Or- but maybe nothing will change. Maybe you will look at me like you’re looking at me now_. _Oh, Keith._ “Oh, Keith. Can I kiss you?”

Keith’s fingers curl over his thigh. “Stupid question,” he murmurs and leans forward first.

Shiro smiles against the kiss, keeps it light, keeps it sweet and pushes Keith back when Keith’s tongue flicks against his lips. “Your friends are still in the other room, probably eavesdropping,” Shiro huffs and strokes Keith’s pink cheek.

“Fuck my friends, “ Keith huffs. Then he sighs, his forehead dropping against Shiro’s. “You know what I mean. Not like that.”

Shiro draws Keith into an embrace, rejoicing in the fact that he’s allowed to. “I know.” Shiro closes his eyes, wrapping his arms around Keith fully. Keith wraps his around Shiro in return. “You know, Keith-“

“Yes?”

“You could- I could.” Shiro sighs, his heart fluttering at the warmth emanating from Keith, the determined arms holding him so tight. “Tomorrow. I could- take you home.”

Keith pulls back immediately, his hands clamping on Shiro’s shoulders.

Shiro blinks.

“You mean it?”

Shiro nods. “Of course I mean it.” His cheeks are starting to burn again. “Because I’ve been thinking about how we haven’t really spent any time together since- you know.”

Keith’s mouth curls into a smile, the same adorable smile he showed after he had first kissed Shiro. “I know. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I know we haven’t talked about- well, us. But yeah. Yes. Take me home with you.”

Shiro pulls him back into a hug, nuzzling his neck and feeling Keith tremble with laughter against him. “With pleasure, Keith.” He rubs Keith’s back, feels Keith’s fingers tickle his neck. “I don’t want you to be disappointed though, I’m not exactly very neat at home.”

Keith snorts. “Neither are we. Just look at this pig-sty.”

Shiro huffs, pulling back from the embrace. His other arm remains around Keith’s shoulders. “I mean it, Keith. I-“ he glances around them but even Hunk and Lance’s quiet chatter from the kitchen has vanished, meaning they are probably eavesdropping or gone to Lance’s room. “If I am to be your boyfriend. When I am to be your boyfriend, I want you to know all of me. Yes?”

Keith frowns. “Is this about what we talked about that other time? Self-doubt? And such?” He takes Shiro’s hand between his.

Shiro smiles at the gesture, kissing Keith’s forehead. “Yeah. I never did tell you how I lost my arm, did I?”

“I figured you’d tell me when you feel like it. You probably get enough stares and questions as it is.”

Shiro’s heart swells three sizes. Keith had never pestered him about the arm or poked at it- and neither had his friends, for that matter. “A car accident, Keith. It’s- well. It’s not pretty. It scratched up most of my body pretty bad.”

Keith lifts an eyebrow, his thumbs stroking Shiro’s hand. “So you’ve got- what? Scars?”

“Many. Quite many,” Shiro says. “Not everyone found them interesting. An ex-girlfriend even said-“  he’s promptly shushed by a pair of lips pressing against his.

Keith pulls back, a look of determination in his eyes that Shiro has come to know and love by now. “Fuck whatever she said. It’s clearly something shitty and you don’t need to hear that. Shiro. I like you. I like you more than- I don’t even know. I think you’re hot as hell, sweet, funny and smart as fuck.”

A blush begins to make its way up from Shiro’s toes, a heat unlike anything. He opens his mouth but Keith shakes his head. “Let me finish? I don’t know who’s told you shit but I’m going to punch them in the face for making you doubt yourself. So what that you’ve got scars. I’ve got goddamn scars. So what that you’ve got a lot of them. Scars tell me that you’re a survivor and if you let me, I’m going to kiss every single one of them.”

Shiro’s heart races so much it threatens to jump out of his throat. His lip might even be quivering a bit.

Keith cups his face between his hands and kisses him, fully, deeply on the mouth. “Please don’t tell me no one’s ever said that to you. What the fuck is wrong with people?”

“Okay, I won’t,” Shiro whispers and kisses him back. “I don’t know, baby, I really don’t.”

Keith presses their foreheads together. Shiro presses his hands in turn to Keith’s burning-hot cheeks. “Too much?”

Keith shakes his head. “I don’t mind pet names. As long as I can call you stuff in return. And kiss your scars. Every single one of them. And before you even start, your arm is sexy as fuck.”

Shiro snorts, kissing Keith’s nose. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, _baby.”_

Keith starts to laugh when Shiro kisses him again. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

“It’s fine,” Shiro huffs. “I like to hear you laugh. And I appreciate you saying such things to me. I really do.” He runs his fingers through Keith’s hair, Keith closes his eyes for a moment in cat-like bliss. “Now, you just continue acing my course and I’ll take you out on a real date.”

“Unless I take you out first,” Keith huffs. He grabs Shiro’s hand again- the prosthetic, this time- and kisses it. “But for first date I think I want to see your apartment. So. Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow.” Shiro curls his prosthetic fingers into a clumsy sort of fist. He can’t help but smile at the way Keith still cradles it like it’s the most precious thing in the world. I like him so much. So much. The way his hair curls around his ears and in his neck. The way he goes through every single one of his classes with such determination. I could fall in love with him. I could fall in love with Keith and I wouldn’t mind that one bit. “You know I can sort of feel that?”

Keith’s eyebrows lift. “Really?” He strokes the prosthetic hand again.

Shiro uncurls the hand again. “Yeah. This thing was really costly. But it’s worth it. It allows me to do so much than the very first prosthetic arms I got. Of course, it’s not on par with my other hand but it’s something.” He curls it into a fist again, then opens it again. “I don’t sleep with it, before you ask.”

“Wasn’t going to.”

“Well, since you are coming home with me tomorrow and if I can hope, you’ll stay the night… you’ll see it anyway.” Shiro bites his lip and meets Keith’s eyes.

“You want me to stay the night?” Keith’s eyes that have gone a little dark, Keith’s cheeks have gone pink.

“Yes. Especially since I think- since I think you won’t react so badly as some have to my body. Especially after you said such nice things about my scars without even seeing them.” Shiro tucks a few strands behind Keith’s ears.

“Like I said!” Keith’s cheeks are definitely pinker, but his familiar determination has piped up again. “I’m going to kiss every single one of them. Every single one.”

Shiro pulls him back for a kiss, then another, then another. “You know, you should be careful when doing so-“ he should not be thinking about these things in this living-room, with Keith’s friends only a couple of doors away but he can’t help but remember his dreams from a few nights back. The dreams featuring Keith in his bed and in his life, unbothered by Shiro’s scars. “My skin has gone rather sensitive in places.”

“Oh?”

 _Oh no. This is a dangerous road._ Yet Shiro can’t seem to stop. “Yeah.” He pulls Keith up from the couch, instantly towering over him, instantly pulling him close. “I’m a sensitive guy. What can I say?”

Keith snorts, easily molding against Shiro. “And that’s what I like about you.”

“I hope that’s not the only thing you like about me,” Shiro murmurs.

Keith pulls back from the embrace, just far enough to be able to squeeze Shiro’s biceps. Shiro flushes instantly. Keith’s cheeks are pink too, but he has new determination in his eyes. “Oh, it’s definitely not the only thing.”

They remain in the living room for so damn long that eventually Lance finds them, having gotten bored of doing homework. Lance declares them absolutely gross. Keith flips him off without even looking at him and leads Shiro to the door.

They spend a few more moments chatting, holding each other’s hands and sharing kisses.

“You know, I don’t even have any more exams coming up in a long while,” Keith says.

“And my workload should be easier now that the course is ending,” Shiro says. “But I do have to write my thesis.”

“You’re not going to be writing it constantly, are you?”

“Nah.”

“Thought so.”

They kiss one last time before Keith sends Shiro off. Shiro nearly walks past his own car after that. He can’t even think about what his mother is going to say after Shiro tells her. He can’t even think about what Keith’s mother is going to say after Keith tells her.

Keith likes him. Keith likes him. Keith could even fall in love, if he hasn't already. Shiro knows he's well on his way to that. 

"I like Keith Keogh. He's my boyfriend. My boyfriend Keith," Shiro murmurs to himself as he steps into his car. He presses his forehead against the steering wheel and grins. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly? i'm gonna probably write a separate sex scene but it just doesn't fit here. so look forward to that but .. yea. otherwise this is it. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this fluffy ride and I hope this brought a smile to your face. <3
> 
> come say hello to me at [tumblr](http://aarnivalkeaa.tumblr.com)
> 
> EDIT 14.1/ and a NSFW extra-chapter has been added as a separate fic. [Go check it out!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13371627)


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